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CIHM/ICMH 
Microfiche 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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D 


D 


□ 
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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


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Couverture  endommagde 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul^e 


D 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titra  de  couverture  manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


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Additional  comments:/ 
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10X 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-c  ssous. 

14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


3ils 

du 

difier 

jne 

lage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

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The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
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Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


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empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ■♦►  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  'END  "), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaTtra  si;r  fa 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  -^^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  filmS  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


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1 


THE 


/ 


ATLANTIC   ISLANDS 


AS  KESOHTS  OF 


i 


HEALTH  AND   PLEASURE. 


By  S.  (i.  W.  BENJAMIN, 

AUTHOR    OF   "  CONTEMPOUAHY    AllT    IN    EIROI'E,"    ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


"Summer  isle.s  of  Eden  lying  in  dark  piiri)Ie  spheres  of  sea.  '-Te.vstsox 

"0,  health  !   health  !_the  hlessing  of  the  rich,  the  riches  of  the  poor"'' who  can  buy  thee  at  too  dP«r 
rate,  since  there  is  no  enjoying  this  world  without  thee.  "-Jo.nsojj. 


NEW    YORK: 
HARPER   &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 


FRANKMN    SQUARE. 

18  78. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1878,  l)y 
HARPKH    &    BUOTIIEHS, 
la   the  Oflice  of  tlie  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Wasiiingto 


4 


PREFACE. 


THIS  work  on  tlio  islands  of  the  Xortli  Atlantic  has  been  prepared 
with  the  hope  that  it  will  meet  a  growing  want  of  the  travelling 
public.  These  islaids,  for  the  best  reasons  in  the  world,  are  becoming 
more  and  more  tbe  resort  of  the  invalid  and  the  pleasure-seeker.  But,  up 
to  this  time,  no  guide-book  has  existed  giving  a  comparative  and  compre- 
hensive statement  of  the  advantages  of  such  islands,  whether  as  summer 
or  winter  resorts. 

No  islands  are  included  in  these  pages  except  such  as  are  free  from  the 
visitations  of  yellow  fever  or  persistent  malarial  and  zymotic  epidemics. 
Great  care  has  also  been  taken  to  obtain  the  fullest  and  most  correct  san- 
itary statistics  on  the  subject,  in  which  the  author  has  perhaps  been  assisted 
by  his  interest  in  medical  topics.  Official  document>«  and  data  have  been 
consulted,  and  the  opinions  of  the  ablest  resident  physicians  have  been 
received  and  compared.  And  in  every  instance,  regarding  all  points  of 
information,  the  writer  has  gathered  his  facts  from  careful  persontil  obser- 
vation or  from  the  highest  authorities. 

As  all  of  these  islands  have  been  recently  visited  by  him,  he  has  thought 
fit  to  leave  the  description  of  them  in  their  original  narrative  form,  as  he 
saw  all  the  important  places  mentioned,  while  the  book  may  thus  perhaps 
be  rendered  more  attractive  to  the  general  reader  by  the  introduction  of 
incidents  of  travel  and  adventure. 

The  Appendix,  although  placed  at  the  end,  really  contains  the  pith 
of  the  book.  It  is  intended  to  convey  copious  information  regarding 
the  attractions  of  each  island  for  both  invalids  and  sportsmen,  sanitary 


8 


I'KEFACE. 


statistics,  the  mcaiiB  for  readiiny  these  I'csorts,  and  the  hotels  and  ex- 
penses of  living.  The  islands  arc  there  distinctly  classified  in  the  order 
of  their  respective  advantages,  without  bias  or  prejudice.  It  nuiy  be  that 
one  or  two  well-known  resorts  receive  less  indiscriniiinite  praise  than 
has  hitherto  been  awarded  to  them,  while  other  less  known  resorts  come 
in  for  a  share  of  credit  that  may  surprise  some  who  arc  ignorant  of  their 
merits.  But  the  writer  can  honestly  say  that  he  has  stated  the  facts  as 
they  appeared  to  the  best  of  his  judgment. 

The  author  avails  himself  of  this  opportunity  to  express  his  hearty 
acknowledgments  for  the  genial  hospitality,  the  many  kind  attentions,  and 
the  uniform  courtesy  he  has  met  in  his  rambles  among  the  Atlantic  Isles, 
whether  from  the  officials  of  the  local  governments',  the  consuls  of  the 
United  States  and  other  countries,  or  from  private  citizens. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I.  p^„ 

The  Bahamas 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Azores 

33 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Channel  Islands 

57 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Magdalen  Islands  ... 

78 

CHAPTER  V. 

Madeira 

94 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Tenekiffe 

121 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Newfoundland 

146 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Bermudas 

161 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Belleisle-en-Mer.  . . 

179 


10  CONTENTS. 

CIIAPTER   X.  p,„, 

pRiNCR  Edward  Island i^^ 

CIIAPTER   XI. 

IsLKs  oi-  SrioAi.s .205 

(IIAPTEU   XII. 

C'ai'k  Ijueton  Island 222 

CirAPTER  XIII. 
The  Isle  of  "Wight ^[M 

AITEN'DIX ■ 257 


I 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


I 


Vaur 

(JkkvI';  au  Lan(,«>n FmiiHspiici'. 

Hoi'KTowN  IIakiioic,  AiiAOo i;» 

Govi;iinmi;nt  llorsi-; 1") 

()M.    (ilNNYIIA(iS IC 

SroNGK  Yaui) 17 

KNTKANfK    TO    I'llKT    N'assaU lit 

IJi,A(Mii;Aiii>,  Tin:  I'ikati: 20 

FouT  Fincasti.i:,  Nassau L'l 

Tin;  !li;ii.MiTA(ih;,  CotNTUY-sKAT  or  Loiu> 
I)rNM<iii;,  AT  Nassau '_'! 

HoVAI,    \'l(ToiMA    IloTKI L'.'t 

I'uiti.ic  I. iiiKAUY,  Nassau 24 

SlI.K-COTTON-TIlKi;,    NASSAU 2(i 

DuNMoiii:  Town 2K 

(J I. ASS  Windows ;iO 

Sthkkt  in  Nassau .".2 

A/.oKKs,  on  AVkstkun  Isi.ks ;U 

Fl.OKi:s    CaKT   AM)    I'lOASAMT    IlUT ;J7 

I'iCO,   lUOM    Fayai i\H 

I'lco  I'kak,  iko.m  Fayai :$!» 

Tick  I'ico  FicitiiY 41 

Makkkt-day  in  Fayai 47  i 

Hospital  or  Viij.ai'kanca  do  Cami-o 4!(  i 

Jkttv  of  I'oNTA  Dki.cada,  St.  Michadl.  "d 

A  St.  Michaki,  Wacjon 5;! 

TiiK  Ciiannki,  Islands ',7 

St.   Fktku's  I'oHT,  (iri;iiNsi;Y .'iH 

MoNUMKNT  TO    1'UIN(  i;  Al.lll.liT,  (lUK.KNSDY    ."»!• 

Maimvkt-i'lack    at    St.    1'i;ti;u's    I'okt, 

(JlKHNSKY 00 

Ciiii.DUKN  JJkc.oing  l-OU  "DoUIU.KS" (il 

Doi.MKN  AND  MaUTKI.I.O  ToWKK,  GUEIINSKY    (i2 

IIautkvii.m;,  Victou  lluoos  latk  Kksi- 

DKNCK   IN    GUKIINSF.Y (!4 

GUAUD-IIOUSK     DKSCIilllKD     IN     '"'roII-KUS 

OF  Tin;  Si:a" (5") 

TlIK  CoIMllKUi;  AND  LUillT-HOUSK,  JkkSEY    (ill 

Mount  OitciuKii,  Casti-k,  Jicushy (!8 

Thk  Pinnaci.k,  Jkusky (Jl) 


Paor 

St.  Huf.i.adk's  Ciiukcii,  .Iicusky 70 

VHAI('KlN(i 71 

CuEux  IIakiiok,  Sauk 72 

Entkanck  to  Tin;  Ciii-.ux  LANDiNO-ri.ACF., 

Sauk 7:1 

Tin-;  AuTF.i.KTs,  Sauk 74 

Cui;u\  Du  I)i;uitiiii.i;,  Sauk 7'> 

Natukai.  I5itiD<;i;,  Pont-duMoiiin,  Svuk  7(5 

SKKiNF.uit's    lloi;si;,  Sauk 77 

Sand  Dunks  and  Wukc  ks  iietween  Am- 

IIF.UST    AND    (iuiNDsTONK    Isi.ANDS 7!> 

TlIK   MaODAI.KN   Isi.ANDS 80 

A.MIIF.UST,  I.OOKIN(;    TOWAUD   DiOMOISKI.I.i; 

IIii.i 81 

Landing  ox  Entuy  Vsi.ani 82 

Oi.D  Man  and  Old  V\'oman 83 

DuAdciiNc,  TiiK  Hull  oi-  a  S(  iioonku  to 

Tin;  Hi;a(  II 8."i 

Tiiuorcii  TlIK  SiuF 8<> 

Pout  and  ViLLA(iK  of  ^Itasg  du  Nokd, 

Guindstonk  Island 87 

C'af  au  Mkule  and  Wueck,  Guindstoni; 

Island S!» 

I'aut  of  Cafe  Aluhjiit 'Mi 

Tin;  Sfuene  Joskpii 01 

Tin;  iMadkiua   Islands !>."> 

FuNciiAL  IIakuou  and  Hua/kn  Head...  !»(> 

Loo  Hot'K !)7 

The  Sledge- hack !•!> 

The  Mountain  Slkd 101 

riiuut'ii  OF  Nostua  Senhoua  do  Monte  103 

Hammock-kidino  in  Madeira 107 

Village  of  Cama  do  Lonos lOIt 

A  TlIUESIIING-FLOOIt 110 

A  Guistmili Ill 

1'easants' Hut  and  Feasants ll."> 

Fenha  D'Aguia 117 

1»LAZA    DE   LA   CoNSTITUOION,  SaNTA  CuUZ  121 

The  Canauy  Islands 122 


12 


ILLUt^TRATIONS. 


PA(iE 

Tknkkiffk r_'.'5 

Sl'ANISH    Si;.N()lMTA 124 

Tm;  rosricio l'J'> 

MlI.K-VKNIUCliS 12(! 

CaMKLS    and    CotlllNKAL-t'AKIUKltS 128 

Guoup  OF  ("iii/As,  OK  Huts,  nkau  La- 

:sA 12!) 

i;i() 
i;u 

i:u 

l.T. 

i:!.H 

I'M 


GU: 

Tknkuiffi:  <"<)STiisii; 

GuAM'iiK       ;  MMiKS  AT  Tacauonti;.. 
CiTV  OK  San  Juan,  Okotava 

l)l{A(iON-TKi;h;    AS    IT   WAS 

Botanic  (Jakkias,  (^uotava , 

VlKW   OF   TIIK  I'KAK   from    OuoTAVA 

Pkasant  SI'INMNG 

a  i'casant-wo.man  of  it'oi) 

Peak    of  Tknkkiffi;,  as    sken    on    at- 

I'HOAcinNu  TIIK  LAK(ii;  ''katku 141 

CoSTl  mi;  of   I'lCASANT 144 

Tin;  Si't)UT  off  Cafi-;  Huoyli; 147 

KNTIIANfK  TO  TIIK   llAlillOK   OF  St.  JollNS    141) 

ASCKNT    TO    A    "Fi.AKK" l")! 

tjAI'K    HaV. — TKI,K(iUAI'H     IIoUSK l'>',\ 

St.  Johns,  fkom  Skjnal  Him I.'i') 

Cleaning  Fish l.">7 

Thk  TJkumudas 101 

C'uiia  and  TIIK  Hahama  Islands 1(12 

Hamilton,  Hkumudas K!;} 

Floating-dock l(ir> 

Tkinity  Ciiuiti'ii,  Hamilton l(l(> 

MoOUk's   ('ALAI!ASII-TI{KK 1(17 

V^iKw  fkom  Lkjiit-iiousk KiS 

Cottage  and  Gakdkn  in  Hamilton IGl) 

A    Stkket    Scene    in    Hamilton  —  Tin; 

WlIAKF 170 

A  Stkket  Scene  in  St.  Geokge's 171 

The  Devil's  Hole 172 

(^AVKs  ON  THE  Coast 17.'{ 

Uavine  on  South  Shoke,  Bermuda 174 

I'lTTs  Bay 17") 

India-kuiuiek-tkee 177 

FisII--\VOMKN   of    the   MoKltlllAN 171) 

CvEsak's  Takle,  ok  Taiile  of  the  Mer- 
chants, LoCMARIAQUEK 180 

Le  Palais,  Bellkisle 182 

Peasant-gihl,  Belleisle 18(i 

Sambko'  Light. — Entrance  to  Halifax 

Hariiok 18K 

Entrance  to  Strait  of  Canso 181) 

Halifax,  from  the  Citadel 190 

LicHT- HOUSE. — Entrance    to    Pictou 

Port 191 

Government  House,  Ciiarlottktown...  192 
Methodist  Church  and  Part  of  Char- 
lottetown — East  Uivek  in  the  Dis- 
tance   193 


Pa(ik 
Avenue  t-eadino  to  Government  House  194 

Market  Building,  Charlottetown 195 

Carrying  the  Mails  across  Nortiium- 

iti;RLAND  Strait  in  Winter 197 

Scene  on  Hunter  Hiver 198 

Fish -HOUSE   and   Stage,  and   Fisiiing- 

lioATs,  KusTico 199 

Fishing -iioATs  heating  into  Kustico 
IIarhor,  hetween  the  Bar  and  the 
SiiT:    Bathing-house  in  the  Fore- 

GROINI) 200 

Fishing  Party 201 

Shag  and  Mingo  Kocks,  Duck  Island.   205 

Isles  of  Shoals 20(! 

Whalk's-iiack   Li(;iit 208 

Duck  Island,  from  Afi'ledore 210 

LAKiirroN's  Grave 211 

South-east  End  of  Ai-fledore,  look- 
ing South 212 

Haley's  Dock  and  Homestead 213 

Ledge  of  Rocks,  Haley's  Island 214 

Smutty  Nose 215 

Old  (,"hur(  h.  Star  Island 21(; 

Captain  John  Smith's  Monument,  Star 

Island 217 

Gorge,  Star  Isi.xnd 218 

White  Island  Light 218 

Cliffs.  White  Island 219 

Covered  Walk  andLight-house,  White 

Island 220 

Londoner,  from  Star  Island 221 

F1SI1ER.MEN  Cruising 223 

Tall  Fisiiin(; 225 

liiDiNG  OUT  A  North-easter 227 

The  Micmac  Ind:   ns 228 

One  of  the  Fisherm.vn's  Perils 229 

Taking  a  Sight 232 

Isle  of  Wkiiit 234 

Hyde 235 

Grave  of  the  Young  Cottager 237 

LiOGii  HicinioND 238 

Join  Wilkes 239 

SiiANKLiN  Chine 240 

Ventnor,  from  Pulpit  Rock 241 

The  Naiural  Enemy 243 

BoNciiiiRcii 244 

The  Well  of  St.  Lawrence 245 

A  Ckaii-nitoner 24(! 

Black  Gan<;  Chine 247 

Faringford,  the  Residence  of  Alfred 

Tennyson 248 

Scratch  ell's  Bay 249 

ToMR  OF   -HE  Princess  Elizaheth 251 

(,'aiusiirooke  Castle 252 

OsiiouNE 254 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS; 


AS  IIKSORTS   Foil 


HEALTH  AND  PLEASURP:. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE     BAHAMAS. 


WE  had  been  heading  sontliward'in  tlie  steamer  City  of  Merida  for 
two  days,  followed  by  raw  northerly  winds,  when  the  wind  snddenly 
shifted  to  the  sonth.  The  change  in  the  temperature  was  magical.  Over- 
coats were  thrown  aside  at  once,  and  all  hands  wore  called  aft  to  spread 
the  awning;  the  waves  went  down,  the  clouds  disappeai'cd,  the  cold  gray 
color  of  the  sea  turned  to  azure,  and  every  breath  of  the  "  sweet  south  " 
seemed  to  sing  a  welcome  to  onclumted  isles  where  reigns  perpetual  sum- 
mer. On  the  fourth  night  we  passed  the  Elbow  Light,  on  the  north-east 
angle  of  Abaco,  and  sighted  Ilole-in-the-Wall  at  midnight.  Many  of  ns 
also  now  saw  for  the  first  time  the  Southern  (.ross  gleaming  over  the  bow, 
while  the  North  Star  and  the  Bear  were  still  visible  on  the  quarter.  At 
dawn  a  long,  low  line  of  green  keys  lay  abeam,  and  soon  we  saw  the 
graceful  groves  of  cocoa  and  the  spires  of  Nassau  gleamitig  in  the  sun, 
now  rising  in  a  cloudless  sky.  The  vessel  drew  too  much  water  to  go 
over  the  bar,  and  therefore  came  to  anchor  outside  of  the  light-house  at 


14 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


!«|i 


l{ 


i 


wl 


the  western  end  of  Iloi:;  Island,  a  beautiful  coral  islet  three  niiloo  long, 
which,  by  fiirnishiii*^  a  breakwater  cheaper  and  safer  than  that  of  Plym- 
outh or  Cherbourij:,  enables  Nassau  to  claim  the  best  port  in  the  Baha- 
mas, lioats  of  all  descriptions  darted  from  the  shore,  manned  by  negroes, 
presenting  sometimes  a  diverting  variety  of  raggedness  in  the  slender 
wardrobe  prescribed  by  conventional  prt)priety  rather  than  by  any  need 
of  protection  against  the  weather.  As  we  rowed  in  over  the  bar  the  first 
object  to  attract  our  attention  was  the  absolute  clearness  of  the  water — 
hyaline,  as  a  ]toet  might  truthfully  call  it — which  enables  the  eye  to  see 
everything  on  the  white  sand  bottom,  and  the  vivid,  almost  dazzling,  green 
hue  of  the  surface,  mottled  with  varied  tints  of  the  same  color,  giving 
exactly  the  api)earance  of  ])olished  malachite.  On  landing,  amidst  a  hub- 
bub of  negroes,  we  found  the  streets  of  almost  snowy  whiteness,  intensiiied 
by  the  glare  of  the  white  walls,  so  that  straw  hats  and  shade  umbrellas 
were  at  once  called  into  requisition.  One  very  soon  gets  accustomed  to 
this,  however,  and  the  effect  could  be  greatly  modified  if  the  worthy  citi- 
zens would  onlv  content  themselves  with  lower  walls  around  their  mirdens, 
or  would  color  those  they  have  v/ith  some  sober  gray.  This  is  evident 
when  one  rides  out  beyond  the  city,  where  the  roads  arc  of  })vecisely  the 
same  character,  but  much  more  tolerable,  because  lined  with  verdure  in- 
stead of  stariuii;  white  walls. 

It  was  a  charming  transition  from  the  glare  of  the  streets  to  the  cool, 
spacious  verandas  of  the  lioyal  Victoria  Hotel,  which  occui)ies  noble 
grounds  on  an  elevated  position  commanding  a  superb  i)rospect  over  the 
(nty,  the  harbor,  and  the  ocean  beyond ;  and  a  breakfast  of  turtle  steak, 
chocolate,  and  tropical  fruits  freshly  plucked,  reminded  us  again  that  for 
a  while  at  least  we  were  free  from  the  furnace-heated  prison-houses  of  the 
North,  and  the  icy,  capricious,  penetrating  winds  of  our  Northern  spring, 
if  it  is  not  a  misnomer  to  call  it  spring. 

Nassau  is  not  only  the  chief  town  of  the  island  of  New  Providence,  but 
also  the  capital  of  the  I'ahanms.  There  the  Legislature  meets  and  the 
governor  resides.  The  Government  House  is  ])leusantly  situated,  and  the 
approach  to  it  is  approjiriately  adorned  by  a  colossal  statue  of  Christopher 
Columbus.  The  Legislature  is  elected  once  in  seven  years,  and  generally 
includes  several  colored  members.  The  black  population  largely  predomi- 
nates, for  not  only  did  the  early  settlers  own  slaves,  but  many  cargoes  of 
cajitured  slavers  M*ere  taken  to  Nassau  and  left  thei'e  to  shift  for  them- 
selves. The  aboi'iginal  race  of  the  I'ahamas  is  now  entirely  extinct.  The 
negroes  are  generally  tall  and  well  formed,  and  very  civil  in  their  de- 
meanor, and  gieat  crimes  are  uncommon  among  them.     Theft  and  licen- 


THE  BAHAMAS, 


15 


tiousiiGSS  arc  their  chief  "  irregiihxritics."  It  is  creditable  to  the  people 
that  the  spacious  and  iiandsoine  prison  recently  constructed  at  hi^h  cost 
is  half  empty,  which  gave  the  jailer  a  curious  uneasiness,  because,  as  he 
said-  to  me,  he  had  a  piece  of  road-mending  to  be  done  in  thi.  ijroiling 
sun  of  nid-day,  and  the  number  of  criminals  under  his  charge  was  not 
equal  to  completing  it  within  a  given  time !  The  old  prison,  a  rather 
picturescpie  building  resembling  a  mosque,  is  now  turned  into  a  public 
library;  the  cells,  once  tilled  with  pirates  and  boozy  blockade -rumiers, 
now  form  the  alcoves  of  a  very  well-arranged  library,  stocked  with  some 
six  thousand  volumes,  generally  well  selected,  and  oj)en  to  the  use  of  the 


GOVEUN.MENT    lloL'SE. 


public.     As  this  institution  is  near  the  liotel,  it  is  of  o-reat  advantage  to 
strangers  sojourning  on  the  island. 

Some  of  the  mulattoes  display  considerable  talent  as  artisans.  The 
shell-work  they  produce  shows  exquisite  taste  and  skill ;  and  Bethel,  the 
best  ship-builder  of  the  group— and  a  very  clever  man  he  is,  too— is  of 
the  colored  persuasion.  Captain  Stuart,  who  commands  the  light-house 
and  revenue  schooner,  is  a  man  of  connnanding  appearance  and  marked 
intelligence,  and  is  rtjgarded  by  the  negroes  of  Nassau  as  "  a  sort  of  god 


16 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


1 


^     i 


V 


round  lieah,"  as  they  phrase  it,  because  lie  foretold  the  ffreat  hurricane 
of  1SG6.  The  colored  people  of  Nassau  arc  niuch  addicted  to  church- 
going,  and  it  is  pleasant  of  a  calm  evening  to  hear  the  singitig  from  the 
churches  all  over  the  town.     I'oppy  Ilunier,  as  he  is  familiarly  called, 

a  quaint,  unique  characjter,  is  their 
most  noted  ])reacher,  and  many  of 
his  curious  sayings  and  eccentrici- 
ties are  current,  lie  is,  in  addition, 
a  man  possessed  of  intellectual  pow- 
er, and  is  thoroughly  in  earnest.  ()\d 
Gunnybags  is  another  noted  charac- 
ter of  Nassau,  a  modern  Diogenes, 
who  takes  up  his  residence  in  (trants- 
town,  the  suburb  affected  by  the 
black  gentry.  The  old  follow,  not 
to  speak  disrespectfull}'^  of  him,  was 
crossed  in  love  in  his  earlier  davs,  it 
is  said,  since  which  melancholy  event 
he  has  worn  a  suit  of  gunny  bags  of 
a  fashion  not  borrowed  from  Paris, 
and  has  slept  in  a  hogshead  laid  on 
its  side  under  a  wall  by  the  wayside ; 
owing  to  the  narrowness  of  his  quar- 
ters and  the  heat  of  the  climate,  he 
cooks  his  meals  in  the  open  air.  A 
little  beyond  Grantstown  ai-e  the 
places  called  Jericho  and  Jericho-beyond-Jordan,  which  show  what  thrift 
the  negro  can  display  on  occasion. 

As  a  class,  however,  the  negroes  of  tlie  Bahamas  are  far  more  supersti- 
tious than  religious.  They  are  great  cowards  at  night,  shutting  uj:  their 
cabins  tight  as  a  drum  to  keep  out  the  wandering  powers  of  darkness. 
Although  the  fact  is  resented  by  many  of  the  most  intelligent  colored 
residents,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  more  ignorant  ne-p'oes  of  these  islands 
entertain  an  almost  incredible  belief  in  feticliism.  The  obeah  men  drive 
a  thriving  business,  and  it  is  seldom  a  sponging-boat  goes  to  sea  without 
first  enlisting  the  valual)le  aid  of  the  man-witch  or  warlock.  They  are 
said  to  be  lazy,  and  certaiidy  they  seem  to  take  life  very  easily,  lying  on 
the  ground  sometimes  for  hours  under  the  full  blaze  of  the  noonday  sun, 
chewing  the  end  of  a  sugar-cane,  or  brawling  in  grandiloquent  and  often 
meaninsrless  rodomontade  at  the  street  corners.     But  there  is  little  need 


OLD    IJl  NNVBAliS. 


§ 


■* 


THE    BAHAMAS. 


17 


of  exertion  when  it  takes  so  little  to  pn]>i)ly  their  iiniiiediiite  wants.  A 
reeent  piistoral  of  (tne  of  tlio  ritualistic  i)riests,  givini^  directions  for  the 
ol)servanee  of  Lent,  created  "  inextiiiguishahle  laughter"  in  Nassau,  for, 
among  other  ordinances,  it  forbade  the  eating  of  sugar.  As  sugar-cane 
forms  a  stai)le  article  of  food  with  the  negroes,  a  strict  observance  of 
his  directions  woidd  have  l)een  followed  by  lamentable  results.  J»ut  I 
think  the  charge  of  la/iness  unfounded,  if  one  but  considers  t'le  severe 
labor  the  negroes  often  accomplish,  as,  for  example,  in  the  si)onge  iishery, 
which  gives  employment  to  the  owners  and  crews  of  five  hundred  licensed 
craft  of  ten  to  twenty-live  tons  burden,  and  is  carried  on  ^v-th  some  risk 
from  the  weather,  and  nnich  hardship,  for  the  sponges  are  two  or  three 
fathoms  below  the  surface,  and  must  be  torn  from  the  rocks  with  hooks 
attached  to  long  poles.  The  position  of  the  sponges  is  ascertained  by 
means  of  a  water-glass,  which  is  a  sim[)le  oblong  b>  x  a  foot  square,  open 
at  the  upper  end,  and  containing  a  pane  of  glass  at  the  other;  on  holding 
this  perpendicularly  over  the  water  one  can  sec  everything  through  it  as 
clearly  as  in  an  aquarium — fish,  sponges,  coral,  or  shells.     The  l>ahama 


rsti- 
heir 
less, 
[red 
Inds 
Hve 
liout 
lare 
on 
pun, 
ften 
Iced 


i 


SPONGE    YARD. 


sponges  are  chiefly  of  four  sorts — sheep-wool  (which  is  the  most  valuable), 
reef,  velvet,  and  glove;  atid,  although  inferior  to  the  finest  Mediterranean 
s[)onges,  are  very  strong,  and  serviceable  for  washing  carriages,  surgery, 
and   the  like.     The  sponge -boats   usually  get  in  on   Saturday,  and  the 

2 


Ill 


18 


Till-:   ATI.ANTU"   ISLANDS. 


jl 


III 


sponnjes  are  assorted  in  the  markets,  each  boat-load  and  variety  by  itself. 
On  Monday  thcv  are  disjuised  of  at  auction,  only  members  of  the  S|)on<je 
guild  and  those  making  genuine  offers  being  permitted  to  bid,  which  is 
done  by  written  tenders. 

Talking  aloud  to  themselves  is  another  trait  peculiar  to  the  negroes 
of  the  JJahamas.  As  a  proof  of  their  love  tor  large -sounding  phi'ases 
alluded  to  above,  which  arc  often  used  without  the  slightest  idea  of  their 
meaning,  I  give  here  a  copy  of  a  letter  written  by  a  soldier  of  one  of  the 
native  regiments,  addressed  to  his  i)liysician,  \vho  kindly  placed  it  at  iny 
disposal,  selecting  it  at  random  from  a  munber  of  similar  precious  doc- 
uments he  had  received : 

"  Feb.  1';$,  18  7-. 

"Sir, — I  thy  most  worthy  servant,  have  the  honour,  at  this  time,  to  im- 
plore and  beseeche  thee,  this  iid  time  to  Pore  this  thy  patient  and  impen- 
itent hand  Maid,  for  although  it  has  pleased  the  Almighty  to  deal  thus 
with  her,  as  she  at  present  is,  still  i  trust  that  it  may  please  him  also  to 
release  her,  out  of  her  ])resent  pains  and  sufferings,  to  her  former  position 
again.  And  we  trust  that  his  Never  failing  providence  may  and  \vill  su])- 
port  thee  to  listen  to  the  Tortures  and  cries  of  the  Afflicted,  for  his  mer- 
cies sake.  Sir  the  present  positions  of  thy  penitent  hand  Maid  is  thus,  a 
severe  and  Protruberance  pain  in  the  back,  and  a  cough  in  proportion  to 
the  pain  in  the  back,  and  a  pain  in  the  stomach  in  pi'oportion  to  the  cough, 
and  a  standing  weakness,  and  a  stubborn  faintiness,  with  restlessness  day 
and  night,  and  Sir  she  stands  at  present  in  need  of  a  good  proportion  of 
blood,  for  Sir  she  loose  a  good  set,  before  she  came  to  thee  the  first  time. 
For  Sir,  she  was  losing  it  from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  which  w.as  eight  days, 
and  it  began  to  abate  on  the  ninth  day.  And  Sir  by  the  help  of  God  and 
thy  assistance,  I  implore  thee  to  try  for  her  for 

"  I  am  thy  liumble  Servant." 

Wrecking  is  another  branch  of  business  for  \vhicli  the  l^ahamas  have 
long  been  famous,  owing  to  their  intricate  navigation.  At  one  time  this 
was  very  lucrative,  but  it  has  been  falling  off  of  late  years.  Formerly 
everything  saved  from  a  wreck  was  sold  at  auction  in  Nassau;  now  all 
goods  not  of  a  perishable  nature,  and  undamaged,  are  reshipped  to  the 
port  of  destination.  Collusion  between  ship -masters  and  the  pilots  was 
also  frequent;  but  increased  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  insurance  com- 
panies has  interfered  with  this  nefarious  business,  while  the  numerous 
light-houses  recently  erected  by  the  Government,  with  noble  self-sacrifice, 
have  operated  in  the  same  direction.     The  uncertainties  attending  money- 


TUK    IJAIIAMAS. 


!!♦ 


iiuikini?  ill  tliis  preciirioiis  way  have  tlicir  effect  on  the  eliaraeter  of  tlic 
j)eoi»le,  as  is  the  case  when  the  element  of  chance  enters  hirii;ely  into  bnsi- 
ness;  the  prizes  in  the  lottery  are  few,  bnt  are  oc(;asioiially  so  large  as  t(. 
excite  inidne  expectations,  and  thns  nntit  many  for  any  i)nrsnit  more  steady 
hut  less  exciting.  For  months  they  will  cruise  around,  watching  and  hop- 
ing, and  barely  kept  alive  on  a  scant  supj)ly  of  sugar-cane  and  couchs; 
then  they  fall  in  with  a  wreck,  and  make  enough  from  it,  ])erhaps,  to 
keep  them  going  another  year.  It  is  not  a  healthy  or  desiral)le  state  of 
affairs. 

One  Sunday  morning  a  commotion  arose  quite  unusual  in  the  nncom- 


gxfebi^a^'-,!^."-!' 


to 

:!'< 
ay 

of 

lie. 

ays, 

md 


M-ly 
ail 
the 
^vas 
)m- 
ous 
ice, 
lev- 


It 


KMllAMK     JO     I'OllT    NASSAI  . 


monly  quiet  and  orderly  streets  of  Nassau.  There  was  hurrying  to  and 
fro,  and  the  sound  of  voices  shrill  and  rai)id  indicated  some  sudden  and 
extraordinary  excitement.  Tl'o  wharves  of  the  little  \\oYt  were  thronged 
and  i)ositively  black  with  eager  negroes,  and  great  activity  was  noticeable 
among  the  sloops  and  schooners.  Seine  were  dischai'ging  their  cargoes 
of  sponges,  shells,  fish,  and  cattle  in  hot  haste;  others  were  provisioning 
or  setting  up  their  rigging;  others  again  were  expeditiously  hoisting  their 
sails  and  heaving  up  their  anchors;  while  the  crews,  black  and  white, 
sung  songs  in  merry  chorus,  as  if  under  the  influence  of  great  and  good 
tidings.  What  could  it  all  mean  ?  It  meant  this :  another  vein  in  the 
Bahama  gold  mines  liad  been  stru  mother  lead  discovered,  and  the 
miners  were  off  to  develop  it,  each  ho})mg  to  be  the  bu^ky  one  to  turn  out 
the  largest  nugget,  and  to  retire  on  it  for  life.  In  other  words,  news  had 
just  been  brought  of  the  wreck  of  a  Spainsh  vessel  on  the  Lavadeiros 
Shoal,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away.    She  was  none  of  your  wretched 


20 


rilK  ATLANTK,'    ISLANDS. 


!  ? 


colliei's  or  fruiters,  with  a  cargo  valueless  to  wreckers,  hut  a  shi^)  whose 
hold  from  keelson  to  deck  heains  was  packed  with  a  thousand  tons  of 
choice  silks  and  stuffs  for  the  hlack-eyed  brunettes  of  Havana,  just  enough 
damaged  to  o])ligo  them  to  he  sold  at  auction  in  Nassau,  where  all  goods 
vr<'ckcd  in  that  ai'chipelago  must  l)e  brought  for  adjudication.  Verily,  we 
thought, '' it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  any  good;"  the  misfortune 
which  has  wrung  the  sonl  and  i)ei'haiis  ruined  the  hajipiness  of  two  or 
three  in  far-off  lands  has  made  j,'.ad  the  hearts  of  several  th(»iisand  dark- 
ies,  mulattoes,  and  whites  in  the  liahamas.  Here  is  a  text  for  La  Roche- 
foucauld, the  modern  cynic. 

The  niannfacture  and  exportation  of  salt  have  also  been  among  the 
most  lucrative  pursuits  of  the  islands.  AVith  the  single  excej)tion  of  Andros 
Island,  which  seems  to  be  still  in  a  formative  state,  there  is  not  a  fresh- 
water lake  or  stream  in  the  whole 
II  ^^Pw^^iP  JJ^i'tJiip?  ^^''t  lakes  of  some  size,  contain- 

ing more  or  less  salt,  are  found  on 
many  of  the  islands.  Vast  qnantities 
of  salt  have  been  made  at  Exnma, 
Long  Island,  Rose  Island,  Inagua,  and 
Turk's  Island.  The  latter  is  now  nn- 
,  ^^    der  the  jurisdiction   of  Jamaica,  and 

i«  ^^^^'^  y^^l^Sk  1  "^T'*^^  *'*^  production  of  salt  at  the  other  isl- 
ands is  at  present  in  a  very  languish- 
ing condition,  the  result  of  the  high 
duties  im[)osed  by  our  Govermnent 
on  the  article,  which  act  in  two  ways, 
like  a  two -edged  sword,  forcing  our 
"^i(.<tf^^  people  to  pay  a  higher  price  than  they 

BLACKBEAuu,  THE  muTB.  otherwisc   would   for  what   salt   they 

consume,  and  effectually  crippling  one  of  the  most  important  trades  of 
the  West  Indies. 

But  the  branches  of  business  which  in  past  years  have  brought  most 
wealth  into  Nassan  have  been  buccaneering,  privateering,  and  blockade- 
running.  -The  bnccaneers  were  at  one  time  in  high  feather  there ;  they 
bought  up  or  captured  the  governors,  toasted  and  roasted  the  people  when 
recalcitrant,  and,  hiding  behind  the  low  keys  in  their  little  vessels,  sprung 
out,  spider -like,  on  any  unwary  trader  quietly  sailing  by.  Blaekbeard, 
who  is  represented  in  the  cut  given  above,  from  an  old  print,  was  the 
most  celebrated  of  the  ruffian  chiefs  who  at  various  times  ruled  over  theie 
islands.     An  immense  silk-cotton-tree  stood  until  within  a  few  years  on 


THK   HAIIAMAS. 


21 


incut 

■ays, 

our 

they 

they 

:s  of 


most 

cude- 

they 

Iwheu 


M-UUK 


|iear( 
tl 


le 


I'ay   Strc'%  ill  Xassau,  muler  the   broad   brauches   of  wliich  he  adiniu- 
i^tered  liigh-haiuU'd  justice,  and  caroused  with  his  harridau  dames,     lie 
was  finally  killed  off  the  coast  of  South  Carolina  in  a  de.-perate  tight,  and 
the  land  hail  rest  for  certain  years, 
the  escutcheon  of  the  colony  bearinuj 
since  that  time  the  significant  legend, 
^'"lij'pulsls piratic, rcntiiuta  coinmer- 

After  the  pirates  came  the  i)ri- 
vatecrs  of  the  lievohition.  Fiiu-astle 
(Lord  Dumnore),  when  he  left  Vir- 
ginia, settled  in  the  lJalianias,of  which 
he  was  apitointed  governor,  and  he 
was  followed  by  many  Tories.  Al- 
though not  a  great  man,  his  is  one  of 
the  nu)st  noted  names  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  Ijaliamas.  Traces  of 
liis  admim'stration  still  exist  in  many 
jthices.  There  is  a  quaint  fort  named  Fincastle  behind  the  Victoria  Hotel, 
curiously  resembling  a  })addle-l)ox  steamer;  and  the  country-seat  where 
lie  resided,  now  called  the  Hermitage,  is  still  standing  by  the  water,  ad- 
mirably situated,  surrounded  by  a  lujble  grove  of  oaks  and  cocoa-palms. 
]ioyal  Island,  having  a  snug  little  harbor  easy  of  access,  was  a  rendczvo\is 
where  arms  and  stores  were  concealed,  and  royalist  privateers  made  it  a 
connnon  resort  during  the  American  lievohition.  An  old  stone  house  still 
remains  there  which  has  doul>tless  witnessed  many  wild,  mysterious  scenes 
in  davs  <>;one  bv. 


KOUT    KINCASTLK,    NASJAl'. 


tlieie 
Irs  on 


THE    UI:;UMITAU£,    COlNi'ltV-SISAT    OF     LOllD    UL'.NUUIU::,    Ai'    NASSAU. 


Ill 


2-2 


rilK    ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


I  ! 


Wo  may  mid,  in  j»iis.siii«;,  timt  oiio  of  the  most  noted  cliiiriictcTs  who 
ever  tignrud  in  Niissiui  was  UKMiiii'rliiissot,  notorious  for  liis  ivliitioiis 
with  AiiioM  l>uiT.  It  will  ho  reinonil)(;rt'd  that  iiftur  the  (!.\(Mteiiieiit  pro- 
duced hy  the  trial  had  hlowii  over,  IMemierliasset  pa.Nsed  off  the  sc-ene ; 
hut  inciiiierhasset  ntill  lived.  There  is  excellent  authority  for  8tatin<jj  that 
the  IJahanuis,  a  refui^e  for  so  many  rovers  and  adventurers,  <;ave  him  a 
shelter  duriiiij  some  of  the  remainin»j;  years  of  his  life.  Leaving;  his  wife 
(whom  the  classic  oration  of  Wirt  has  made  famous)  to  care  for  herself, 
•  lie;  there  assumed  the  name  of  Carr,  and  received  tlu;  position  of  Attorney- 
i;'eneral.  The  secret  was  known  to  hut  few.  Another  wife  consoled  him 
for  the  ahsence  of  Mrs.  JJlennerhasset,  who  onc(^  <liscovered  his  reti'eat, 
hut  was  spirited  out  of  the  island,  and  maintained  elsewhere  on  a  sep- 
arate allowance.  Those  were  roistering?  days,  when  i;'entlemen  draidc  hard, 
jilayed  high,  and  fonj^ht  duels  like  devils  days  now  fortunately  passed, 
it  is  hoped,  forever,  at  least  in  Nassau — and  lUeimerhasset  acted  his  ro/e 
welljhy  no  means  a  looker-on  in  Vienna. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  most  remarkahle  episode  in  the  history  of 
the  Bahamas,  the  ]>art  they  played  in  the  Southern  rehellion,  ahout  which 
a  volume  of  entertaininij;  information  coidd  he  written.  On  the  5tli  of 
I)ecend)cr,  18G1,  the  lirst  Confedenite  vessel  arrived  from  Charleston, 
with  144  hales  of  cotton;  and  hetween  that  time  and  the  close  of  the 
war  307  vessels  entered  Xassaii  from  (\)nfederate  ports,  and  588  sailed 
thence  for  Southern  ]>orts.  Of  these  the  steamers  were  to  the  sailinjj^  ves- 
sels in  the  ratio  of  three  to  one.  Of  the  clearances  4'32  were  ostensihly 
for  St.  John.  New  Urunswick,  and  of  the  total  numher  only  thirty-two 
carried  the  Confederate  tlau; — a  pretty  fair  indi(;ation  of  the  amount  of 
(complicity  practised  about  that  time  by  Her  Majesty's  subjects  and  oflicials 
in  Nassau,  and  of  the  value  f  the  I'ritish  capital  cniraged  in  this  ques- 
tional)le  traffic.  In  nothing  was  this  connivance  on  the  part  of  a  neutral 
power  moi'e  evident  than  in  the  case  of  the  Florida,  or  Orcfo,  which  was 
three  times  seized  by  the  commander  of  the  British  man-of-war  BuU-ihxj, 
and  three  times  released  by  the  decision  of  the  insular  Admiralty  Couit 
on  grounds  afterward  wisely  disavowed  by  the  Home  (xovernment. 

During  the  Confederate  years  the  little  town  actually  swarmed  with 
Sonthern  refugees,  the  captains  and  crews  of  blo(!kade- runners,  cotton- 
brokers,  I'um-sellers,  Jews  and  Gentiles  of  high  and  low  degree,  coining 
money  and  scpiandcring  it  as  if  they  owned  the  secret  of  the  ti'ansmuta- 
tion  of  metals.  They  played  toss-penny  in  the  verandas  of  the  Royal  Vic- 
toria Hotel  with  gold  eagles!  The  shops  were  ])acked  to  the  ceilings; 
the  straets  were  crowded  with  bales,  boxes,  and  barrels — cotton  coming  in. 


THK   BAHAMAS. 


23 


(loiifcdonifo  uiiifonns  and  \n\\>i  of  lead  and  ()iiiiiiiM',  to  pepper  patriots 
and  patients,  goin^  out.  Seninics  and  his  bold  hoys  twisted  their  luus- 
taches  at  every  eorner,  (huieed  invohintary  reels  and  horni>i[»es  from  f^rog- 
•rerv  to  irr«»<rirerv,  and  from  tlie  waxetl  llo(»is  of  the  (ioveriunent  House, 
where  they  were  always  sure  of  a  cordial  reception,  to  the  decks  of  the 
liamliee  and  A/abuina,i>r  brandished  their  revolvers  in  the  faces  of  Union 
men,  whoso  lives  were  too  micertain  to  insure  thereabouts  in  those  rol- 
lickinir  days.  A  spicy  little  paper  called  tlu;  Voiinij  J'unr/i,  edited  by  a 
witty  Confederate  in  Nassau,  under  the  sobricjuet  of  "The  Can't  Get 
Away  Club,"  i^'ives  a  ^'liuipsc;  of  the  state  of  thin«;s  then  existing,  and 
shows  that  there  was  some  real  fun  connected  with  blockade-running.     A 


llUtAL    VlOiUKlA    IIOTKL. 


•ith 

ton- 

ita- 
i(!- 

hi. 


rather  grim  joke  was  played  at  the  expense  of  the  rebels  via  Nassau.  A 
large  invoice  of  prayer-books  was  brought  fi'oni  England  and  rcshipped  to 
(yharleston,  with  the  express  understanding  that  they  were  suited  to  the 
devotional  wants  of  the  Confederacy.  Quito  a  mnnbcr  had  been  distrib- 
nted  before  it  was  discov.  cd  that  the  prayei's  for  the  President  and  Con- 
irress  of  the  United  States  had  not  been  altered  ! 

It  is  not  a  creditable  fact  that  some  of  the  jjoods  sniuir<ijled  into  the 


1^ 


i 


24 


THE  ATLANIK:   islands. 


FL'IILU'    LIRIIAIIY,    NA!J:iAt'. 


Confederacy  by  way  of  Nassau  wore  fi'oni  Nortlicni  ports,  as,  for  example, 
8hip-loacU  of  pistols  brought  from  ]>oston  in  barrels  of  lard.  On  the  other 
liand,  there  are  many  instances  of  noble  patriotism  on  record.  The  name 
of  Timothy  Darling,  Esq.,  is  deserving  the  honor  and  resi)ect  of  every 
true  American.  A  native  of  Maine,  but  long  a  I'esident  of  Nassau,  a 
British  subject,  and  one  of  the  principal  merchants  and  politicians  of  the 
l^ahamas,  he  was  more  than  once  oflieied  the  agency  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  always  firmly  declined — a  proposal  which,  as  the  event  proved,  would 
have  been  woi-th  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  him. 

During  the  continuance  of  the  war  the  weather  was  exceptionally  fine 
even  for  the  West  Indies ;  no  hurricanes,  and  but  few  gales  of  any  vio- 
lence, occurred.  Evei'ything  went  on  merry  as  a  man-iage-bell,  and  the 
policies  of  vessels  clearing  for  Nassau  might  well  have  omitted  the  words 
"wind  atid  weather  permitting."  But  in  the  year  succeeding  the  fall  (jf 
Richmond,  18GG,  occurred  the  most  terrible  hurricane  experienced  in  those 
waters  during  this  centurv.  The  ocean  rolled  completelv  over  Hog  Island 
into  the  harbor  in  surges  so  enormous  that  the  crest  was  even  with  the 
gallery  of  the  light-house,  sixty  feet  above  the  sea.  Houses  and  forests 
went  down  before  the  wind  like  reeds;  many  which  withstood  its  force 


THE   HA  MAMAS.  25 

when  it  blow  from  north-east  collupst'd  when  it  nhiftod  to  fiouth-wost.  In 
twenty -four  hours  the  city  was  like  a  town  saekcil  ami  burned  by  the 
enemy,  and  a  hir«;e  part  of  the  wealth  aeeumidated  during  the  war  ha<l 
disappeared  into  thin  air.  The  island  has  never  entirely  reeovcred  from 
the  blow.  Those  who  are  inclined  to  believe  in  special  providences  may 
find  food  for  retlection  in  the  circumstance  that  no  Tnioii  man  had  his 
lionse  wrecked,  or  suffered  any  c(»nsiderable  lijss.  This  is,  at  least,  a  curi- 
ous coincidence.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  however,  that  violent  weather 
or  hiUTicanes  are  frequent  in  the  Jjahannis.  Formerly  they  occurred  once 
in  two  or  three  years,  in  August  to  October,  but  now  blow  at  njm;h  longer 
intervals.  There  has  been  no  hurricane  in  that  archipelago  since  the  one 
of  ISGG.  The  prevailing  winds  are  north  to  south,  round  by  east,  taking 
the  form  of  trade-winds  from  the  eastward  during  a  large  part  of  the  year, 
and  it  is  rarely  that  the  heat  of  mid-day  is  not  cooled  by  a  breeze  from  the 
sea.  The  facilities  for  yachting  and  llshing  at  Nassau  are  admirable,  fast 
yacihts  being  always  on  hand,  while  the  neighboring  keys  present  attract- 
ive i-esorts  for  picnic  [)arties,  and  the  variety,  beauty,  and  savage  character 
of  many  of  the  tish  render  fishing  a  sjwrt  of  more  than  ordinary  interest. 
The  beautiful  Lakes  of  Killarney,  in  the  interior  of  iS'ew  Providence, 
abound  with  wikl-duck,  and  those  who  care  to  cruise  as  far  as  Green  Key 
may  find  lots  of  pigeon-shooting. 

The  drives  around  Nassau  are  also  very  charming,  often  leading  by 
the  sea-side.  There  are  few  scenes  more  replete  with  <juiet  but  excjuisite 
and  satisfying  l)eauty  than  the  drive  to  Fort  Montague  toward  sunset;  on 
one  side,  groves  of  palms,  litJie  and  graceful  as  nymphs,  gently  swaying 
their  undulating  plumage  in  the  evening  wind;  on  the  oth.er  side,  the 
sea  inurnnn'ing  on  the  yellow  sand;  in  the  distance,  the  city  and  the  port 
linmed  against  a  sky  ablaze  with  the  glory  of  the  tropics.  The  roads  ai'e 
always  excellent,  and  of  such  a  nature  that  the  hor.ses,  when  shod  at  all, 
are  only  shod  on  the  fore-feet.  With  a  few  exceptions,  they  are  small 
and  meagre  to  a  degree  that  renders  Ilosinante  corpulent  in  comparison, 
being  fed  chiefly  on  sugar-(rane  stalks.  It  is  curious  that  on  islands  gen- 
erally the  equine  race,  while  exceptionally  hardy,  has  a  tendency  to  dwin- 
dle in  size.  Ihit  although  appearances  wonld  lead  one  to  expect  a  similar 
condition  in  the  vegetation  of  the  IJahanias,  the  reverse  seems  to  hold  good. 
"With  but  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  islands  are  low  calcareous  rocks,  prob- 
ably the  summits  of  peaks  once  rising  far  above  the  sea,  and  enlarged  and 
re-elevated  by  coral  insects  since  their  submergence.  The  limestone  is 
gray,  and  so  hard  as  to  strike  fire  when  exposed  to  the  weather,  but  soft 
enough  below  to  be  shaped  with  saw  and  hatchet,  while  the  layer  of  soil. 


r-! 


i  : 


i 


; 


■if 


I 

I  til 


20 


TlIK   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


scattered  over  it  is  so  thin  as  to  make  it  iinp(  .isible  to  iimlerstaiid  how 
uii_vthiii<^  but  scrub  and  goats  could  flourish  upon  it.  Any  Yankee  so 
eiiter[u-ising  or  hare-brained  as  to  introduce  the  hitest  improved  plou^ijh 
into  Nassau  would  be  considered  a  tit  candidate  for  the  Insane  Asylum 
beliind  the  bishop's  residence.  And  yet  there  is  not  a  plant  of  the  tropics 
that  may  not  be  made  to  grow  there,  and  many  of  the  temperate  zone. 
The  maho<>;any  is  common,  chiefly  on  Andros  Island,  and  might  become  a 
lucrative  branch  oi  cununerce  if  there  wore  roads  to  transport  it  to  the  sea. 


SlLK-<'()TTON-TliEK,    NASSAl'. 

The  variety  called  the  hoi'sc-flcsh  is  exceedingly  durable,  and  is  exclusively 
used  for  the  frames  of  ]>ahania  vessels.  It  seems  to  rival  oak  for  this 
purpose.  Tlie  pine  reaches  a  good  size  in  the  interior  of  New  Providence, 
where  the  palmetto  is  so  intermingled  with  it  as  to  present  a  suggestive 
blending  of  the  vegetation  of  two  zones.  Tlie  wild  pineapple,  or  air-pLmt, 
which  lives  in  the  branches  of  forest  trees,  holding  sometimes  a  quart  of 
dew  in  its  silver-gray  bowl  of  spiky  leaves,  is  also  an  interesting  object. 
The  satinwood,  lignumvita;,  yellow -wood,  fusti(!,  and  cedar  grow  every- 
where, and  cocoa  and  date  palms  abound,  together  with  the  Ficus  Tndicus^ 
a  species  of  banyaiu     Of  the  East  Indian  banyan  a  ve;_/  perfect  specimeij 


THE    BAHAMAS. 


27 


i 


exists  near  Foit  Montague.  The  banana,  tamarind,  sapodllla,  mango,  cof- 
fee-plant,  guava,  cnstard-apple,  orange,  sngar-cane,  mammae,  and  almost 
every  vegetable  production  of  the  tropics,  grow  more  or  less  in  the  Baha- 
mas. The  oranges  of  San  Salvador  or  Watling's  Island  are  exceptionally 
sweet.  IIow  such  vegetation  can  thrive  on  a  mere  basis  of  rock  is  a  per- 
j)etual  mystery.  I  visited  an  orange  plantation  outside  of  Nassau  where 
the  gray  rock  was  comi)letely  honey-combed  with  depressions  called  cave- 
holes.  On  the  bottom  of  these  was  a  little  soil,  and  there  the  trees  grew 
and  tlourished  in  clumps  of  eight  or  ten.  The  grape  fruit  is  a  species  of 
large  orange,  the  color  of  a  citron,  and  with  a  thick  rind  and  a  pleasant 
tlavor.  Why  it  should  be  called  the  grape  fruit  seems  difficult  to  under- 
stand. A  gentleman  from  the  Bahamas  saw  some  of  them  in  a  fruit- 
vender's  stall  in  Xew  'i'ork  labelled  California  oranges,  their  size  seeming 
in  accordance  with  the  usual  exaggerated  character  of  the  productions  of 
that  ambitious  State.  "My  friend,"  said  he  to  the  fruit-vender,  "those 
are  not  California  oranges;  they  are  Bahama  grape  fruit." 

"  I  guess  you'd  better  move  on,"  was  the  vender's  reply,  in  an  unmis- 
takable tone  of  asperity. 

One  of  the  most  singular  trees  in  the  Bahamas  is  the  silk-cotton,  which 
attains  a  large  size,  not  only  reaching  a  good  heiglit,  but  spreading  laterally 
over  a  wide  surf.K^e,  and  buttressed  at  the  base  like  a  Gothic  tower,  evi- 
dently an  adaptation  by  nature  to  support  it  in  the  absence  of  any  perpen- 
dicular hold  it  might  have  in  a  deeper  soil.  The  roots  also  extend  to  a 
great  distance,  creeping  over  the  rock  like  vast  anacoiidas,  and  clinging 
to  every  crevice.  The  bolls  are  full  of  a  soft  brown  cotton,  resembling 
tloss  silk,  but  not  adhesive  enough  for  use.  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
specimens  of  this  tree  is  the  one  behind  the  Govermnent  House.  Its  roots 
extend  nearly  the  eighth  of  a  mile,  and  then  shoot  up  into  another  mag- 
nificent specimen  in  the  grounds  of  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  in  whose 
branches  a  large  platform  has  been  constructed. 

The  cactus  and  aloe  are,  of  course,  common,  and  especially  the  Sisal 
aloe,  from  which  manilla  rope  might  veiy  well  be  manufactured  with  a 
little  onteri)rise,  as  might  also  be  added  regarding  the  production  of  cas- 
tor-oil, as  the  plant  grows  abundantly  on  the  islands.  The  pineapple  flour- 
ishes in  San  Salvador  and  Eleuthera ;  the  chief  supplies  of  that  delicious 
fruit  which  reach  our  markets  are  from  the  latter  island. 

The  cruise  to  Harbor  Island  and  Eleuthera  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing within  easy  distance  of  Nassau.  It  can  be  made  in  a  yacht  or  in  one 
of  the  many  little  schooners  constantly  plying  to  and  fro;  keys  are  always 
in  sight,  and  a  lee  can  be  made  at  any  time ;  while  one  can  return  by  way 


w 


ll*  i 


'I 


28 


TIIK  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


of  Abaco,  wliere  a  cruise  in  the  sounds  on  either  side  of  that  isLand,  and 
a  visit  to  the  curious  little  settlement  culled  llopetown,  inhabited  by  de- 
scendants of  the  buccaneers,  present  various  attractions.  Spanish  Wells, 
on  the  island  of  that  name,  is  a  most  singular  place.  Planted  on  the  low 
beach,  the  houses  are  huddled  together  in  inconceivable  disorder,  and 
built  on  posts  to  raise  them  above  the  sea  waves,  and  also  io  keep  them 
free  from  the  incursions  of  the  hermit-crabs,  which  live  in  the  rocks  in  vast 
numbers,  and  often  come  out  at  night  and  prowl  over  the  land.  ]3efore 
every  house  is  an  oven — it  was  baking-day  when  wa  touched  there — and 
the  smell  of  fresh  bread  could  be  observed  before  we  got  to  land.  It  was 
also  ironing-day,  and  before  every  cabin  flat-irons  were  ranged  on  coals. 


DlNMOliE    TOWN. 


The  women  wear  the  peculiar  oblong  pasteboard  sun -bonnet  which  was 
common  years  ago  in  our  rural  districts,  called  in  some  places  "rantam- 
skoots,"  and  their  ajipearance  is  not  especially  attractive;  but  then  I  did 
not  see  them  in  their  best  bibs  and  tuckers,  and  dress  does  make  a  differ- 
ence. The  school -house  is  thatched  with  palm  leaves,  and  is  a  cjuaint 
little  building.  The  school-master  told  me  thev  lived  on  conchs  and  flsh, 
and  he  had  not  tasted  meat  for  two  months.  If  lish  makes  brain,  the 
Ijahamians  ought  to  be  intellectual  to  a  degree;  but  facts  do  sometimes 
conflict  with  theories.  Many  of  the  lish  in  those  waters  are  poisonous  at 
times,  especially  the  barracuda,  which  is  a  very  savage  fish,  three  to  five 
feet  long.  The  cause  for  the  noxious  character  of  the  West  India  fish  i& 
not  yet  fully  eN[>lained.  The  symptoms  of  poisoning  by  the  barracuda 
are  great  itching,  pain  in  the  joints,  and  baldness,  lasting  sometimes  for 
years.     The  first  hint  of  poison  is  a  violent  sickness  of  the  stomach,  at- 


THE   BAHAMAS. 


21) 


did 
rtei-- 
uint 
iish, 
the 
lues 
IS  at 
iive 
li  is 
uda 
for 


tended  with  vomiting  within  lialf  an  honr  after  eating  tlie  fish.  The  wliite 
])eople  of  the  Bahainas  generally  induce  the  negro  fish-sellers  to  eat  of 
the  fish  first,  and,  if  it  prove  harndess,  then  partake  of  it  themselves.  We 
caught  a  large  barracuda,  on  the  way  to  Harbor  Island,  and  it  was  cooked. 
Ignorant  of  its  dangerous  cpialities,  I  ate  freely  of  it.  After  1  had  satisfied 
my  appetite,  I  was  told  of  the  possible  symptoms  that  might  soon  follow. 
It  being  too  late  to  avoid  the  mischief,  I  gave  the  matter  no  further 
thought,  and  happily  suffered  no  ill  effects. 

From  Spanish  Wells  the  track  lies  over  a  succession  of  coral  reefs, 
through  which  the  passage  is  of  the  most  intricate  character;  one  of  the 
worst  places,  a  long  zigzag  reef,  is  called  the  Devil's  Backbone.  Were 
it  not  for  the  extraordinary  clearness  and  vivid  malachite  tints  of  the 
water,  and  that  wherever  a  reef  rises  near  the  surface  it  is  indicated  by  a 
reddish  spot,  the  complementary  color  of  green,  it  would  bo  next  to  im- 
possible for  a  vessel  to  work  into  the  port.  The  brilliance  of  this  hue  at 
mid-day  also  causes  the  deep  water  beyond  to  appear  purple,  while  the  sky 
is  actually  flushed  with  rose  to  the  zenith  on  a  bright  day.  The  port  of 
Harbor  Island  is  spacious,  and  so  protected  by  reefs  and  bars  at  each  en- 
trance as  to  be  the  safest  in  the  world  for  vessels  not  drawing  over  nine 
feet  of  water,  after  they  once  get  inside  of  it.  It  is  formed  by  a  lov; 
island  stretching  across  a  bight  at  the  north-eastern  end  of  Eleuthera.  On 
the  imier  slope  of  this  isle  is  situated  Dunmore  Town,  containing  twenty- 
five  hundred  inhabitants,  next  to  Nassau  the  largest  settlement  in  the  'Ba- 
hamas. A  very  pleasing  little  place  it  is,  encircled  by  beautiful  cocoa-ni.t 
groves,  and  dreaming  by  the  gieen  water  in  an  air  of  solitude  and  peace 
which  is  very  bewitching  to  one  who  is  wearv  of  the  rush  and  <jiddv  whirl 
(if  the  nineteenth  century,  while  the  cool  trade-winds  alwavs  moderate  the 
heat.  On  the  ocean  side  of  Harbor  Island  is  the  finest  beach  I  have  seen, 
of  very  fine,  delicate  pinkish  satul,  hard  as  a  floor,  a  glorious  galloping 
ground  for  the  half-dozen  ponies  in  the  ])lace.  The  peopie  depend  for 
fresh  water  chiefly  on  wells  sunk  in  the  drifted  sand  immediately  back 
of  the  beach.  When  the  well  is  dug,  it  is  protected  from  falling  in  by 
three  or  four  barrels,  one  over  the  other,  aiul  the  rude  curb  is  guarded 
with  a  padlock.  The  sea-water  filters  through  the  sand  into  these  wells, 
and  becomes  sweet  as  ordinary  spring- water.  A  gale  of  wind  destroys 
the  wells  once  in  three  or  four  years,  and  excavating  new  ones  is  a  dan- 
gerous process.  The  inhabitants  gain  a  livelihood  cultivating  pineapples 
on  Eleuthera.  A  fleet  of  two  hundred  boats  is  owned  in  the  settlement. 
Every  morning  at  sunrise  this  little  fleet  spreads  its  wings  to  the  trade- 
wind,  and  wafts  eight  hundred   men  and  boys,  black  and  white,  to  the 


■^^ 


30 


THE  ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


lovoly  beach  and  cocoa -mit  groves  on  Elontliora,  two  miles  awav ;  everv 
iiiglit  they  return.  The  pineapples  begin  to  ripen  in  April,  ami  only  grow- 
to  advantage  on  a  peculiar  red  soil  that  is  always  thin,  and  is  found  in 
but  few  districts.  The  plantations  are  on  undulating  ground,  the  highest 
in  the  I'ahanias,  and  are  skirted  by  mahogany,  logwood,  and  cocoii-nut 
groves,  overgrown  with  tlie  brown  love  vine,  and  abounding  in  scarlet- 
flowered  hop,  clitoi'ia  or  wild  pea,  and  various  other  flowers,  while  tJie 
song  of  the  brown  thrush  resounds  in  every  thicket.     A  pine  fleld,  when 


liLABS    WINDOWS. 


the  pines  are  ripe,  looks  as  if  it  were  on  tire,  the  scarlet  of  the  sjiikcii 
leaves  forming  a  flame -color  with  the  vivid  orange -yellow  of  the  fruit. 
There  are  two  principal  varieties  of  the  pineapple,  the  scarlet  and  tlic  sug- 
ar-loaf, the  latter  of  which  is  the  best.  It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that 
pineai)ples  such  as  those  of  Eleuthera,  eaten  perfectly  rii)e  on  the  spot,  are 
inflnitely  superior  to  the  pineapples  sold  in  our  markets.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  the  cocoa-nut.  For  a  penny  a  negro  urchin  woidd  clind)  uj»  a 
tree  and  fetch  me  a  pair  of  what  are  called  jelly  cocoa-nuts,  the  fruit  be- 
ing plucked  before  the  pulp  has  hardened,  so  that  it  can  be  eaten  with  a 
spoon.    The  flavor  is  very  delicate,  while  the  milk  is  cool  even  at  midday. 


■*8iJ 


THE   lUIIAMAS. 


31 


and  fiiniislios  a  tliorouglily  licaltliy,  iniUlly  astringent  drink,  preferable 
to  water  or  the  l)randy-and- water  in  which  the  lesidents  too  often  indulge 
for  a  warm  climate. 

Some  charming  excursions  may  be  made  fi'om  ]Iarl)or  Island.  The 
bav  is  one  t)f  the  most  beautiful  sheets  of  water  ever  marked  l)y  the  keel 
of  a  yacht,  fringed  by  cocoa-nut  groves,  and  protected  from  the  surges  of 
ocean  bv  the  silver-ilashing  barrier  of  the  bar.  The  walk  from  Jiottom 
Cove  to  the  arcli  called  the  Glass  Windo.vs  is  remarkable  for  the  sug- 
gestive beauty  of  ;.ie  land  forms,  tlie  effect  being  heightened  by  the  stately 
stalks  of  the  aloe  risius:  here  and  there,  like  solitary  l)ronzc  columns,  lift- 
ing  a  massy  coronal  of  golden  flowers  against  the  sky;  while  on  one  side, 
owing  to  the  narrowness  of  Eleuthera  at  that  spot,  the  green  water  of 
the  coral  reefs  is  close  at  hand,  and  on  the  other  actiuilly  blue  water, 
for  Eleuthera  is  on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  iJanks,  serving  for  some 
seventy  miles  as  a  breakwater  for  the  rest  of  the  group  against  the  vast 
waves  of  the  Atlantic,  which  rise  there  suddenly  sometimes  without  any 
wind,  and  last  for  several  hours.  The  natives  call  these  windless  risings 
of  the  sea  "rages;"  they  are  probably  caused  by  a  heavy  storm  blowing 
at  a  distance.  In  1872  an  extraordinary  tidal  wave  rose  without  warn- 
ing  at  the  Glass  Windows,  washing  under  the  arch  and  entirely  over  the 
island,  carrying  away  several  young  people  who  were  enjoying  a  picnic 
there.  The  account  of  the  rescue  of  one  of  them  is  a  thrilling  and  re- 
markable story,  too  long  for  narration  here ;  but  those  who  visit  Harbor 
Island  will  find  Mr.  Cole,  the  intelligent  and  courteous  school  -  mastei-, 
quite  willing  to  repeat  the  narrative  of  an  adventure  of  which  he  was 
himself  an  eye-witness.  The  arch  is  of  limestone,  eighty -five  feet  abovt^ 
the  sea.  A  line  can  be  dropped  plumb  down  to  the  water.  It  is  s})lit 
entirely  across  at  the  centre,  and  as  one  stands  over  the  crack  fancy  read- 
ily suggests  the  ct)nsequences  if  the  arch  should  fall  in  at  that  moment. 
Near  (ri-egory's  Harbor  is  a  (iave  extending  eleven  Inmdred  feet  under- 
ground, enriched  with  stalactites  of  a  brilliant  brown  hue.  It  is  really 
worth  visiting.     Thei'e  is  also  a  large  cave  at  Long  Island. 

South  by  east  of  Eleuthera  is  Cat  Island,  or  Guanahani,  celebrated 
as  the  land  first  seen  by  Columbus,  and  called  by  him  San  Salvador. 
The  reader  must  here  be  prepared,  however,  for  a  surprise,  when  it  is 
stated  that  in  all  probability  it  was  not  Cat  Island  which  Columbus 
named  San  Salvador,  but  Watling's  Island — a  snuiUer  isle  a  little  more 
to  the  southward  and  eastward.  The  facts  in  the  case  are  these  :  con- 
trary, probably,  to  the  general  opinion,  it  has  never  been  definitely  known 
which  was  the  island  entitled  to  the  honor;   but  about  fifty  years  ago, 


-•52 


THE    A.'LANTIC   ISLANDS. 


when  liistoriaus  were  busy  with  the  voyajjjo  of  Coliiinhus,  they  uiuler- 
took  to  settle  the  question  by  eoini)aiMn<^  liis  journal  with  the  imperfect 
ehurts  of  the  Jjuhiinias  then  existing.  Navarette  fixed  on  Turk's  Island, 
which  later  investigation  has  proved  to  be  erroneous;  while  Irving,  sup- 
])orted  by  the  strong  authority  of  ll-nnboldt,  argued  for  Cat  Island,  and 
since  then  this  has  been  generally  aecL^^«-ed  as  San  Salvador,  and  it  is  so 
designated  on  our  charts  to  this  day.  i>nt  the  English  reversed  their 
opinion  some  time  ago,  and  transferred  tl  e  name  of  San  Salvador  to  Wat- 


■    I 


1     I 


STREET    IN     NASSAU. 


ling's  Island,  and  it  will  be  so  found  on  their  latest  charts.  The  reasons 
for  his  change  seem  conclusive.  Lientenant  Beecher,  of  the  English  luiw, 
proves  beyond  cpiestion  that  Cat  Island  cannot  be  San  Salvador,  and  that 
Watling's  Island  answers  the  (ionditions  required  better  than  any  other 
island  lying  in  the  track  of  Columbus.  His  two  stroTigest  reasons  against 
('at  Island  are  that  Columbus  states  that  he  rowed  around  the  northern 
end  in  one  day.  The  size  of  Cat  Island  makes  this  physically  impossible 
there,  while  it  is  quite  feasible  at  the  other  island.  He  also  speaks  of  a 
large  lake  in  the  interior.  There  is  no  such  water  on  Cat  Island,  while 
such  a  lake  does  exist  on  Watlinsj's  Island. 


"^SVv 


THE  AZUllES. 


33 


CILVPTER   n. 


TIIH   AZOHES. 

IT  M'as  01)  tlic  23il  of  July  that  the  Al  elipper-hark  Jehu  sailed  from 
Huston  for  Fayal  and  a  market,  in  halhist.  Slie  had  in  the  steerage 
thirty-one  Portuguese,  who  were  returning  liome,  and  the  objcet  of  the 
voyage  was  ostensibly  to  secure  a  charter  for  an  early  cargo  of  oranges 
in  November,  but  really  to  obtain,  clandestinely,  a  haul  of  Azorean  i)as- 
scngers  flying  the  islands  in  face  of  the  stringent  prohibitory  laws  against 
emigration.  There  is  in  the  Portuguese  dominions  a  strict  system  of 
conscription,  under  v.'liich  every  man,  on  reaching  twenty-one,  must  incur 
the  chance  of  being  drawn  for  the  army;  and  in.  consequence  no  one  can 
leave  the  Azores  who  has  not  yet  had  his  name  shaken  in  the  lot,  uidess 
he  gives  bonds  in  three  hundred  dollars  that  he  will  return  s\nd  serve,  if 
drawn,  the  money  to  be  forfeited  if  he  fails  to  respond;  and  this  regula- 
tion applies  even  to  mere  lads  scarce  weaned.  It  is  evident  that  the  great 
])overty  of  the  people  makes  this  a  pretty  effectual  bar  to  emigration.  It 
is  true  that  i)assports  are  with  some  reluctance  granted  to  those  who  do 
not  come  within  the  application  of  this  law,  yet  those  wishing  to  emigrate 
are  principally  young  and  enteri)rising  males.  Put  for  years  they  have 
found  means  to  evade  the  observation  of  the  Govermnent,  escaping  on 
passing  M'halers,  whose  crews  are  largely  composed  of  Portuguese,  or  on 
Kuglish  and  American  traders,  which  have  occasionally  cruised  among 
tiie  islands  for  the  purpose  of  "stealing  Portuguese,"  as  the  business  is 
called.  The  (/chit  was  at  the  time  the  only  American  vessel  then  depend- 
ing for  its  proflts  on  this  curious  and  hazardous  traffic,  the  other  packets 
plying  between  this  country  an.d  the  Azores  being  partly  owned  by  resi- 
dents there,  who  do  not  dare  to  trespass  on  the  laws  of  the  land. 

Manuel,  the  second  mate,  and  all  the  crew  were  Portuguese  ;  he  was 
very  handsome,  black -bearded,  eagle-eyed,  and  M'ith  a  herculean  frame. 
We  had  baffling  winds,  with  calms  and  fogs,  until  we  got  near  whaling- 
ground.  The  Azores  are  an  important  rendezvous  for  whalers,  who  can 
provision  there  more  cheaply  than  at  home,  and  for  that  purpose  touch 

3 


;i4 


Till':  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


i' 


there  even  when  hoiiiul  iinmncl  the  Horn.  The  wtiters  in  that  vicinity  arc 
aUo  i^oud  fur  cruidiiijx,  althunii-h  wliales  are  less  abundant  than  iurnierlv. 
On  the  uth  of  August  we  took  a  sou'-wester,  and  the  Je/ix  Hew  toward 
Flores  with  every  stitch  of  canvas  set  and  all  drawing,  making  a  thou- 
sand miles  in  four  days,  gall(»i>ing  away  with  the  wind  ahaft  the  beam, 
and  carrying  sail  until  it  blew  away.  An  observation  on  the  8th  showed 
that  we  had  ]iassed  Flores,  Avhieh  had  been  hidden  in  mist,  at  midnight, 
when  we  shoidd  have  been  abreast  of  the  island.  Captain  ih-own  had 
thought  i>f  lying  to  the  ])revious  night,  but  had  unwisely  concluded  to 


'ii 


li 


RCoBVO 

ryKLonEs 


Graciosa^^ 


S.JOKOE 


Favai 


.  Tkkckiua 


PlC(» 


AZORES 

—   or      - 

Western  Isles 


_L^ 


S.Mkhiki 


-pott^* 


^A* 


»^* 


bTA.MAIlIA 


r..i  *  S...  K.  T. 


3(1  LoiiKltuili-  Wi'sl  2!)  friini  (JTvi'nwli-li2x 


keep  on,  and  we  now  had  to  heat  to  windward  sixty  miles.  "We  were  not 
the  lirst  who  had  found  the  Western  Islands  elusive  as  the  Flying  Dutch- 
man or  St.  Brandon's  Isle.  I-^ying  far  apart  as  they  do,  it  is  (piite  easy, 
when  the  weather  is  at  all  thick,  to  nuss  them,  or  come  foul  of  them  with 
a  fatal  crash,  for  they  are  all  so  precipitous  that  a  shi})  may  almost  any- 
where butt  her  bowsprit  against  the  cliffs  before  grounding  or  iinding 
anchorage.  The  Azores  (so  called  from  the  acor,  a  hawk  peculiar  to  those 
islands)  were  discovered  early  in  the  fifteenth  century  by  Cabral,  and  the 
Formigas,  a  reef  near  St.  Mary,  were  the  iirst  seen.  St.  Michael  and  St. 
Mary  were  the  first  to  be  settled,  about  1481,  sixty  years  before  the  voyage 
of  Cohnnbus;  who  on  his  return,  in  pursuance  of  a  vow  made  during  a 
great  storm,  landed  half  Ids  crew,  who  went  barefoot  to  the  Chapel  of  the 


trt 


THE   AZORES. 


35 


ll 

iO 

-  37 

^ere  not 

Diitch- 

nte  easy, 

lin  witli 

1st  auy- 

Itiiiding 

[o  tliosc 

Utl  the 

lind  St. 

ivoyage 

I  ring  a 

of  the 


Virgin  to  olTor  thanksgiving.  Ho  was  about  to  follow  with  the  roinaindcr 
of  the  crew,  but  was  hiiuk'rod  l)y  the  unfriendly  conduct  of  the  governor. 

It  was  a  tine  morning  in  August  when  we  reached  Flores — the  Isle 
of  Flowers — and  with  a  fresh  leading  wind  stood  close  along  the  shore, 
enjoying  a  good  view  oi  the  jaggcjd  volcanic  peaks  and  well-cultivated 
slopes.  We  hove  to  at  breakfast-time  off  Santa  Cruz,  the  chief  place  (»ii 
the  island.  A  boat  soon  came  off  with  the  health  ollicer,  and  after  getting 
pratique,  I  went  ashore  with  the  captain.  The  boats  of  Flores  are  made 
for  out-at-sea  work,  deep  and  broad,  more  like  a  sinall  ship  than  a  row- 
boat,  and  the  oars  are  very  clumsy,  and  <!onstructed  of  two  or  three  pieces, 
crooked  boughs,  fastened  together  with  marline,  and  turning  on  the  gnn- 
M-ale  by  a  broad  slab  through  which  the  tlu)le-pin  passes:  it  rccpiires  two 
or  three  men  to  pull  them.  We  reached  the  port  —  and  what  a  port! 
Kiding  in  on  the  top  of  a  roller,  through  a  gauntlet  of  black  lava  rocks, 
hoary  with  roaring  foam,  and  scarce  thirty  yards  apart,  we  entered  a  haven 
about  an  acre  and 'a  half  in  extent,  surrounded  by  perpendicular  cliffs,  on 
whose  edges  the  houses  are  perched,  and  with  a  beach  to  match,  affording 
scant  room  for  a  dozen  boats.  The  boatmen  took  us  off  the  boat  on  iheir 
shoulders,  and  landed  ns  high  and  dry  amidst  a  throng  of  eager  men, 
•women,  and  children,  who  occupied  every  spare  foothold  from  whir h  the 
new  arrivals  could  be  seen.  Closely  they  gathered  around  us,  the  young 
and  the  old,  the  halt  and  the  maimed,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  latter  in 
large  majority;  some  to  welcome  us,  others  to  gaze,  others  to  badger  and 
barter,  and  stil^  othci's  to  beg.  A  public  fountain  near  the  landing,  emp- 
tying its  musical  stream  ii'  o  a  stone  trough,  and  surrounded  by  a  gronj> 
of  barefooted,  black-eyed.  Ax  e-liued  girls  in  white  mantles,  filling  earthen 
jars,  was  the  first  ol)ject  to  f  x  my  attention,  vividly  reminding  me  that, 
although  yet  in  the  Atlantic,  I  had  again  come  within  the  magic  influence 
M-liich  lends  an  indescribable  charm  to  the  shores  of  the  MediterraTiean. 

The  people  of  Flores  are  good-looking,  many  of  the  young  girls  and 
youths  having  a  piquant  beauty  that  is  very  attractive.  But  the  aged 
often  have  the  parchment-like,  deeply  wriidcled  skin  common  the  world 
over  to  the  peasantry  when  advanced  in  years.  The  women  of  Flores 
generally  wear  a  shawl  or  white  cloth  over  their  heads.  Ex(!epting  the 
few  of  the  u[)per  class,  both  sexes  of  all  agos  go  barefoot.  When  they 
attend  mass  they  (^arry  their  shoes  with  thou?,  and  put  them  on  before 
entering  the  cliurch. 

Convents  for  both  sexes  were  abolished  throughout  the  group  by  Dom 
Pedro  I.,  but  the  Franciscan  convent  of  Santa  Cruz  still  stands.  The  dor- 
mitories are  let  to  tenants,  but  the  chapel  belonging  to  it  is  a  fair  speci- 


86 


TIIK    ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


( 


r     I 


'i 


I 


.        :l 


men  of  tlio  Tleiiaissanco-Italian  stylo  as  soon  in  (udonial  chnrclios,  adapted, 
by  its  profuse  and  rather  tawdrily  gilded  ornamentation,  to  impress  an 
i<jfnorant  poj)Mla(!e.  Tho  <;hnreli  of  Santa  Criiz  oecMipies  a  connnandiiii^ 
position,  and  is  oxteriially  one  of  the  host  in  the  A/ores.  It  is  ilaid<ed 
l»y  two  towers  siu'inoimted  l»y  Saraeenie  domes;  l)ut  the  interior  is  cold 
and  naked.     I'oth  elmreh  and  convent  are  ahont  three  centuries  old. 

The  formation  of  Flores  and  the  neijnfhborini:^  ishuid  of  Corvo,  which 
is  merely  a  crater  whoso  sides  are  cultivated  by  a  small  colony  of  Moriscos 
not  a  thousand  in  number,  is  in  some  respects  different  from  that  of  the 
remainder  of  the  group;  that  they  are  distin(!t  is  pai'tially  proved  by  the 
circumstance  that  earth([uake-shocks  felt  in  the  other  islands  are  not  expe- 
rienced in  these  two,  which  have  shocks  entirely  their  own.  Figs,  yams, 
potatoes,  corn,  wheat,  bananas,  a))ples,  peaches,  and  almost  any  vegetable 
production  of  both  spjieres,  grow,  or  can  be  made  to  grow,  on  these  islands, 
so  mild  is  the  average  temperature,  extremes  being  uid<nown.  J  Jut  to 
l)ring  numy  of  them  to  perfection,  a  more  intelligent  culture  is  necessary 
than  they  receive  at  these  islands.  It  never  freezes,  oven  during  the  I'ainy 
season,  excejit  on  the  mountains,  nor  does  the  mercury  often  rise  above 
85°  in  summer.  Excellent  iigs  I  tasted,  yet  by  no  means  comparable  to 
the  tig  of  the  Levant;  the  a])ples  are  far  inferior  to  ours;  and  the  grapes 
are  oidy  tolerable.  It  is  but  fair  to  add  that  for  eighteen  years  a  blight 
has  cursed  the  Azorean  vineyards,  as  in  the  JMadeiras,  and  l)oth  grapes 
and  wine  are  scarcer,  and  ])ossibly  poorer,  than  formerly.  The  indicatloiis 
now  are  that  the  blight  is  about  over. 

There  are  several  villages  in  Flores,  and  agricndturc  is  prosecuted  with 
much  iiulustry,  women  also  laboring  in  the  fields,  and  the  implements 
are  of  a  patriarchal  character.  Donkeys  and  horses  are  scarce,  and  the 
means  of  transportation  are  the  human  head  and  small  carts  drawn  by 
diminutive  cattle  ;  the  wheels  are  solid,  turning  on  an  axle  of  chestmit- 
wood,  selected  especially  on  account  of  the  infernal  scpieak  it  gives  out. 
The  peasants  find  this  a  congenial  music  on  the  lonely  roads ;  it  can  be 
heard  a  great  distance,  and  is  so  modulated  as  to  produce  alternately  a 
squeak  and  a  groan  !  The  cattle  become  ac(!ustomed  to  work  to  this  dole- 
ful accompaniment,  and  the  drivers  maintain  that  it  is  essential  to  their 
own  happiness;  each  cart-owner  is,  in  fact,  boastful  of  the  peculiar  tune 
creaked  by  his  own  vehicle. 

Having  landed  some  of  our  passengers,  and  engaged  provisions  against 
our  return,  we  sailed  for  Fayal.  Two  days'  sail  took  us  close  to  Castello 
Branco,  or  White  Castle,  a  bold  headland  at  the  southern  end  of  the  isl- 
and, four  hundred  feet  high,  and  resembling  a  huge  fortress,  connected 


,».■:. 


T- 


TIIE  AZOKKS. 


^7 


with  the  himl  by  a  slomler  natural  eaiisoway.  I'lit  ni<,'ht  camo  on  h('f(»iv 
wo  coiihl  wwither  this  headhiiitl,  and  we  stood  out  to  sea  ai,'ain  to  avoid 
heiiig  becalmed  and  su(;l<ed  ai>:iinst  the  rocks  by  the  swift,  treacherous  cur- 
rents. Vessels  overtaken  by  calms  sometimes  have  very  narrow  escapes 
in  those  waters.  On  the  followinif;  mornin<;  we  beat  into  the  roadstead  of 
Ilorta,  the  town  of  Fay al,  the  latter  name  beinj,'  often  incorrectly  nsed  for 
both.  The  name  Fayal  is  derived  from  tho  fuf/u,  a  small  ever<j;reen  tree, 
found,  however,  more  on  Pico  than  on  the  island  to  which  its  name  is 
iriven.  The  harbor  is  the  best  in  the  irroup,  affording  tolerable  anchorage 
and  shelter  from  westerly  winds,  I'ico,  f(»ur  miles  distant,  presenting  a 
nuigniticent  breakwater  to  east  winds;  but  against  gales  from  the  north- 


d  with 

■•i 

Mucnts 

nd  the 

JH 

wn  by 

'31 

cstnnt- 

.^s  out. 

can  be 

itely  a 

■J 

s  dole- 

■.' 

)  their 

1 

r  tune 

A 

igainst 

astello 

he  isl- 

uected 

FI-DIIKS    I  AIIT    ANU    PEASANT    IITT. 


C      /'/ 


■■^■/ 


east  and  south-east  there  is  no  shelter,  and  vessels  have  then  to  cut  and 
run,  or  incur  great  I'isk  of  going  ashore.  They  always  ride  at  heavy  moor- 
iuirs,  and  sometimes  in  a  gale  all  hands  seek  refuge  on  land. 

We  threw  the  topsail  aback,  and  waited  for  the  j'ort-boat,  which  soon 
came  out,  followed  closely  by  the  revenue  and  several  other  Ixtats.  The 
officers  very  carefully  examined  our  captain  as  to  the  number  on  board, 
causing  all  hands  to  be  mustered  along  the  rail  to  count  noses.  As  we  had 
several  who  had  come  without  passports,  and  therefore  could  not  pass  mus- 
ter, some  sharp  practice  resulted,  after  which  everything  was,  with  some 
..hesitation,  pronounced  satisfactory.  Two  guards,  one  more  than  usual, 
owing  to  the  doubtful  character  of  the  Jehu^  were  detailed  to  remain  on 
board  dtu-ing  her  stay.  Very  particular  are  these  Portuguese  martinets 
in  all  the  punctilios  of  revenue  law,  on  the  principle  that  the  smaller  the 
State  the  more  necessary  is  it  to  maintain  Its  dignity  with  fuss  and  feath- 


38 


TIIK  ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


era.    So  8tri(!t  ure  tlio  revenuo  laws  that  even  u  mere  suil-ljoat  (raniiot  leave 
(iiK!  i>liiiul  (listriet  tor  aiuttlier  witliout  u  <;l('uniiuH'.     A  itei'sou  euniiut  go 


nroi   niDSi   favai.. 


from  Pico,  in  the  Favul  district,  to  St.  (leori^e,  oiilv  sixtc(Mi  miles  off,  but 
in  the  Terccira  district,  except  with  a  passjioi-t ;  and  if  caught  without  one, 
he  is  ])ernutted  to  meditate  on  his  sins  in  jail. 

The  cai)tain  of  a  Yankee  whaler  ]>layed  a  cjood  joke  on  the  port  au- 
thorities of  llorta.  AVhile  eruisin<i^  in  the  nci<jfhl)oi'inij  waters,  one  of  his 
crew  fell  from  aloft  and  broke  his  leg.  Accordingly,  the  vessel  put  into 
Fayal  to  land  the  poor  fellow. 

"AVhere  are  vou  last  from  V  asked  the  i)ort  officer. 

"  From  ]>arbadoes," 

He  looked  oven-  his  instructions,  and  found  Barbadoes  to  be  a  suspected 
island,  so  nothing  would  (U)  but  that  the  whaler  must  i)roceed  seven  hun- 
tlred  miles  to  Tiisbon,  the  capital  of  Portugal,  and  go  into  (piarantine  there, 
before  she  could  land  the  man.  What  does  our  shar[)  Yankee  do  but  sail 
to  the  island  of  Terceira,  only  seventy  miles  distant. 

"  Where  arc  you  last  fi'om  ?"  asked  the  port  officer  of  Terceira. 

"From  Fayal,"  replied  the  American. 

So  they  gave  \\\\n  pratique.     Then  he  sailed  back  to  Fayal. 

"  Where  are  you  last  from  ?"  again  asks  the  port  officer  there. 

"  From  Terceira." 

"  Ah,  very  good.'' 

They  could  (l<i  nothing  else  but  give  \\\m  pratique,  and  the  man  with 
a  broken  leg  was  at  last  landed,  and  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Fayal.  Pos- 
sibly this  is  not  the  only  instan(;e  of  sharp  practice  wiid^ed  at  in  Fayal. 

The  Jehu  was  now  sent  in  charo-e  of  the  mate  to  St.  George  to  land 


It 


TllH  AZOKKS. 


3U 


■i 

t 


the  rotimiiiiiicj  steerage  papseiigeiv,  while  Caittiiiti  Hrown  stayed  iit  Faval  to 
tic^otiHte  for  a  charter.  On  hiiitliiii;,  I  ciilhHl  at  thtf  town  resicUineu  of  the 
I)al»neys,  wheie  I  was  politely  received  and  treated  to  fine  i)lackl)errics 
and  figs,  and  J'ieo  wine,  a  mild  tipple  snggesting  sherry,  althongh  decid- 
edly inferior  to  it  in  flavor  and  cpiality.  The  house,  built  hy  the  late  Mr. 
Dahney,  for  many  years  United  States  consul,  is  surrounded  by  extensive 
grounds,  admirably  hiid  out  and  stocked  with  choice  exotics.  We  took  up 
our  (juarters  at  the  iiotel  kept  by  Mr.  Kdwards.  The  afternoon  was  pleas- 
antly spent  in  a  stroll  to  I'orto  I'im,  an  excellent  little  haven  adjoining 
tli(;  main  port,  if  it  were  not  exposed  to  tlu;  full  swee[)  of  westerly  gales. 
The  town  on  that  side  is  protected  by  old  fortifications,  erected  in  lornKM' 
ages  as  a  defense  against  the  descents  of  corsairs,  and  is  entered  by  a  j)ict- 
urcs([ue  mcdianal  gate. 

Pico  began  to  show  his  head  in  the  afternoon,  indicating  good  weather. 
He  is  the  barometer  of  the  Azores:  when  his  head  is  mufHed,  the  weather 
will  be  dubious;  but  when  the  peak  is  visible,  all  will  be  pro[)itiou8.  The 
mountain  stands  at  the  western  end  of  the  Pico  island,  and  towers  TOL'J 
feet  above  the  sea,  an  isolated  volcanic  cone,  surrounded  at  its  base  by 


■^ 


I'll'O     I'KAK,    FlIOM     KAVAl.. 


many  smaller  craters.  Later  in  the  day  I  visited  the  fort  by  the  jetty,  and 
there  saw  "Long  Tom,"  a  gun  which  belonged  to  the  privateer  General 
Ar?nstronff,  in  the  war  of  1S12.     The  defense  of  this  vessel,  on  the  26th 


40 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


iii 


iiti 


of  September,  IS14,  is  one  of  the  most  n'alliuit  exploits  in  the  history  of 
American  luival  warfare.  Captain  iieid  and  liis  otHcers  were  at  a  ball 
when  it  was  reported  that  an  English  fleet  was  off  the  ])ort.  lie  hurried 
on  board,  and  moored  his  ship  under  protection  of  the  fort.  lie  luid  only 
seven  i»;uns  and  iiinety  men,  but  i-epulsed  three  attacks  of  Hotillas  sent  in 
by  an  English  sipiadron,  destroying  many  boats,  and  intlicting  on  the  ene- 
my a  loss  of  three  hundred  men.  Finding  that  he  must  eventually  be  over- 
powered, Captain  Iieid  caused  the  nnizzle  of  ''Long  Tom''  to  be  })ointcd 
into  the  hold,  and  fired,  thus  scuttling  the  vessel,  and  escaping  to  the  shore 
with  his  crew.  "Long  Tom"  was  afterward  fished  up  and  mounted  in 
the  fort/=^- 

On  the  day  following  I  sallied  out  before  breakfnst,  strolling  along  the 
water-street  which  skirts  the  shore  and  is  protected  by  a  parapeted  sea- 
wall. 1  was  in  season  to  see  the  Pico  ferry-boats  landing  their  passengers  ' 
and  cargoes,  which  were  carried  through  the  surf  on  the  heads  or  sh'/ul- 
ders  of  barelegged  boatmen..  Tlie  boats  carry  two  lateen-sails,  and  re 
nuide  to  stand  heavy  weather.  In  the  early  morning  they  come  f.om 
Magdalena  and  Larga,  villages  of  Pico,  deeply  laden  with  passengers, 
wood,  charcoal,  fruits,  and  other  commodities,  and,  after  discharging,  re- 
load and  return.  So  soon  as  the  g;oods  were  landed,  peasant  women, 
barefooted  and  nut-brown,  but  pleasant-featured,  raised  the  heavy  baskets 
or  jars  to  their  heads,  and  wended  their  way  to  the 'market-place,  which 
is  entered  through  a  high  gate  from  the  liua  do  Cullegio.  It  is  a  scpiare 
enclosure,  with  a  rov;  of  booths  running  entirely  around,  and  Avithin  these 
meat  and  provision  stalls.  On  the  pavement  in  front  sat  the  country- 
women, displaying  paimiers  of  fruit  and  vegetables.  In  the  centre  of  the 
quadrangle  is  a  large  well  shaded  by  fine  ti'ees.  There  is  a  picturesque- 
ness  quite  Oriental  about  the  whole  scene. 

The  renuiinder  of  the  day  was  agreeably  passed  in  rambling  r;bouf  the 
city,  which  has  five  thousand  iidiabitants,  and  is  well  laid  out,  on.  a  slope, 
containing  some  -elegant  residences  and  gardens,  and  several  churches, 
which,  however,  present  no  ai'cliitectural  points  worthy  of  note.  The 
large  buildings  formerly  erected  for  a  Jesuit  college,  convent,  and  church 
are  now  occupied  as  barracks. 

The  freemasons  have  two  lodges  in  ITorta,  and  the  order  has  some 
strength  in  the  islands.     The  shojis  of  Ilorta,  as  throughout  the  Azores, 


*  It  is  not  generally  known  tliiit  the  English  fleet  which  thus  attacked  Captain  Iieid  in  a 
neutral  jiort  was  eanying  re-enlbrcenients  to  Guneral  I'iiekenlnim  at  New  Orleans.  The  losses  it 
sustained  in  the  fight  detained  them  m  long  at  Fayal  that  ihey  did  not  reach  New  Orleans  until 
after  the  battle  at  that  place  had  been  lost. 


THE   AZOHKS. 


•11 


kets 
lich 
11  are 
these 
iitry- 
i-  the 
s(jue- 


f  tl 


le 


lope, 

•ches, 

The 

lurcli 


some 
:ores. 


1  in  ii 

sscs  it 
iiiilil 


have  no  windows,  hut  two  or  three  doors,  always  wide  open  and  £?ivui^ 
deiui-davhiilit.  Tlie  dwelUni^s  are  built  over  the  slioi)s,  with  small  hal- 
conies  projecting  over  the  street,  some  of  them  veneered  with  azuh-jos,  or 
ijlazed  tiles.  The  names  of  the  streets  are  of  the  same  ware  in  blue  and 
white.  Tlie  stranirest  siuht  in  llorta  is  the  cai)otc  of  the  women,  worn 
alii<e  in  sunnner  and  in  the  rainy  season  :  this  cloak  is  of  heavy,  dark- 
blue  stuff,  falliui,^  in  massive  folds  to  the  ankles,  and  surmounted  by  a 
stni»endous  hood,  stiffened  with  whalebone  and  buckram,  and  of  astound- 
ing shape  and  size.      Some  i)retty  faces  may  occasionally  be  discerned 


THE    I'iro    FEIIKV. 


under  this.grotcscpie  guise,  although  the  'vvomcn  of  Fayal  are  less  pleasing 
than  their  sistei's  of  Flores.  At  night  the  main  street  is  dimlv  lighted, 
rather  superfluously  it  seemed  to  nse,  as  after  dark  very  few  stejjs  are 
lieard.  Day  or  night,  no  phice  conld  be  more  (juiet,  Tlie  roar  of  the 
surf  tumbling  on  the  reef  or  against  the  sea-wall  is  about  the  onlv  sound 
prevailing.  Now  and  then  the  bray  of  an  ass,  or  the  bark  of  a  dog,  or 
tlie  shrill  voice  of  a  peasant-girl  —  once  or  twice  a  day  the  harsh  jangle 
of  a  tumble-down  hack  drawn  slowly  by  mules — such  arc  the  sounds  in 
Ilorta.  Quiet  reigns  there,  excei)t  at  the  landing-place  near  the  fort; 
there  the  bawling  of  boatmen  and  sailors  is  often  resonant. 

On  the  third  morning,  after  another  early  stroll  abont  the  market  and 
the  port,  I  ordered  a  donkey  for  the  Caldeira,  or  crater  of  Fayal.     The 


rMn 


42 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


'  ! 


ii 


satUlle,  like  those  of  Scio,  is  intended  for  riding-  sidewise,  without  stirrups, 
and  is  broad  and  well  cushioned,  with  a  bow  at  each  corner  by  which  the 
rider  steadies  himself.  By  the  driver's  advice,  I  sat  on  the  "  starboard  " 
side  of  the  little  beast.  We  proceeded  Ijy  way  of  the  Flaniengoz,  a  strag- 
gling village  on  the  outskirts  of  Ilorta,  once  settled  by  Flemings,  and  the 
most  attractive  part  of  Fayal.  Much  of  it  lies  along  the  course  of  a  tor- 
rent deeply  worn  in  a  lava  bed.  At  one  picturesque  spot  a  brown  stone 
bridge  spans  the  torrent  with  several  arches;  under  them  a  small  thread 
of  water  now  percolated,  in  which  merry-voiced  girls  were  Avashing  their 
clothes.  Beyond  the  bridge,  on  a  hill,  stands  a  white  church,  from  whose 
steps  a  superb  prospect  is  gained.  Pico  rises  in  the  background,  gar- 
landed with  delicate  clouds,  yet  towering  as  if  close  at  hand ;  between  the 
two  islands  lies  the  port,  the  roofs  of  Ilorta,  and  then  the  nearer  hills 
which  form  the  gorge  through  which  runs  the  river,  overhung  with'  foli- 
age  in  tropical  variety  and  luxuriance.  Here  we  left  the  good  macalam- 
ized  road,  and  struck  into  narrow  bridle-paths.  The  cultivated  iiolds  were 
everywhere  enclosed  by  walls  or  hedges  of  the  Ilortensia,  profusely  cov- 
ered with  massy  clusters  of  white  and  purple  flowers.  Gradually  wo  left 
all  signs  of  civilization,  and  struck  into  a  solitude,  the  donkey  carefully 
picking  a  precarious  foothold  over  lava  soil  scooped  out,  furrowed,  ribbed 
and  broken  by  the  winter  rains  in  the  most  inconceivable  manner. 

After  several  hours  we  reached  the  month  of  the  crater,  seven  miles 
from  Ilorta,  and  3335  feet  above  the  sea.  Making  the  donkey  fast  to  a 
bush,  we  descended  into  the  crater,  a  feat  more  easily  mentioned  than  ac- 
complished, for  it  is  1700  feet  to  the  bottom,  and  the  sides  are  so  precipitous 
aiK:  broken  as  to  make  the  descent  hazardous  withori  a  guide.  A  young 
American  was  killed  some  years  ago  going  down  into  this  abyss.  The 
floor  of  the  crater  is  overgrown  with  dry  yet  sponge-like  moss,  giving  to 
the  feet  the  sensation  of  a  heavy  Turkey  carpet.  Near  the  centi>e  is  a  ])ool, 
tawny  and  turbid,  of  unknown  depth,  and  close  to  it  rises  a  smaller  crater, 
resembling  in  size  and  appearance  the  liana-draped,  age-hoary  tcocallis  in 
the  jungles  of  Yucatan.  A  few  frogs,  not  in  awe  of  the  sublime  loneli- 
ness of  the  spot  once  the  scene  of  belching  fires  and  subterranean  thun- 
ders, gave  an  occasional  croak  by  the  edge  of  little  brooks  wimpling  down 
from  the  clefts  in  the  rocks.  Before  we  began  the  ascent,  the  clouds  came 
creeping  over  the  edges  of  the  precipices,  assuming  the  form  of  water-falls 
dropping  into  space  in  eternal  silence.  This  magnificent  volcanic  valley 
is  nearly  six  miles  in  circumference  and  over  a  mile  in  its  largest  diam- 
eter, but  so  symmetrical  is  its  form  that  it  is  with  difHculty  one  can  realize 
its  depth  and  extent. 


THE  AZORES. 


43 


crater, 
His  ill 
oiieli- 
tluin- 
down 
came 
r- falls 


Before  we  left  Fajal,  I  had  time  also  to  ascend  Pico  Peak,  which  is 
the  central  point  and  most  interesting  featnre  of  the  Azores.  I  crossed 
the  strait  in  one  of  the  felnccas  which  ply  daily  between  rfie  islands.  The 
spirited  action  of  the  saucy  little  craft  filled  one  with  exuberant  joy,  her 
immense  lateen- sails  swelling  and  straining  in  the  breeze  as  she  drove 
careening  over  the  waves  with  a  bone  in  her  mouth,  and  now  and  again  a 
dash  of  spray  over  the  bow ;  the  groups  of  chatting,  gayly  dressed,  black- 
eyed  peasants  clustered  on  the  deck  were  also  charmingly  picturesque;  sea 
and  sky  were  a  deep  azure ;  and  before  us,  a  stupendous  outline  clean  cut 
against  the  sky,  towered  the  Peak,  solitary  and  sublime. 

Immediately  on  landing,  I  sent  men  in  different  directions  to  procure 
a  mule  for  the  ascent.  But  four-legged  animals  are  scarce  at  Pico ;  and 
it  was  several  hours  before  one  coidd  be  found,  and  then  oidy  for  the  fol- 
lowing day.  This  was  bad.  The  time  generally  allowed  for  the  ascent  is 
two  days,  while  the  time  at  my  disposal  was  short,  and  the  weather  looked 
threatening.  Without  clear  weather,  it  is  effort  thrown  away  to  climb  the 
Peak.  I  decided  to  accomplish  the  trip  in  one  day,  and  then  walked  up 
two  miles  to  the  village  of  Vcllas,  with  Jorge,  my  guide,  in  whose  house 
I  passed  the  m'ght.  The  village  lies  on  one  of  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountain.  It  has  no  water,  and  the  women  bring  all  the  water  from 
wells  at  the  sea-side  two  miles  away,  sometimes  making  the  trip  several 
times  daily.  They  carry  the  jars  on  their  heads,  wiiich  gives  them  the 
stateliness  of  carvatides. 

The  women  of  Pico  are  the  handsomest  of  the  Azores,  finely  formed, 
and  with  features  of  almost  classic  beauty.  Their  wealth  of  massive  black 
tresses  are  done  up  in  a  simi)lo  beautiful  braid,  crowned  by  a  straw  hat  or 
a  scarlet  cloth.  I'lithe  and  buxom,  thev  seem  to  bear  the  burdens  of  life 
right  merrily.  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  there  is  indeed  no  greater  folly 
than  to  be  wise. 

Jorge's  house  was  the  best  in  the  village;  it  consisted  of  three  small 
rooms  and  a  porch,  over  a  half-story  containing  a  hand-mill  and  a  stable. 
The  garden  was  stocked  with  yams,  potatoes,  grape -vinos,  and  fig  and 
orange  trees,  fenced  in  with  brown  walls  of  loose  lava,  which  looks  mas- 
sive and  heavy,  but  is  light  and  spongy,  and  is  so  irregularly  shaped  that 
walls  made  of  it  cling  together  without  mortar.  The  villaijers  collected 
at  Jorge's  in  the  evening  to  gossip  by  the  light  of  a  feeble  glim.  They 
were  ranged  on  the  Hoor  around  the  apartment,  like  sachems  in  a  wig- 
wam. The  pipe  of  peace  went  around  in  the  form  of  a  meagre  cigarette ; 
each  took  a  moderate  wiiiff.  Tobacco  is  too  precious  an  article  in  the  isl- 
ands to  be  indulged  in  too  prodigally  by  most  of  the  people.     After  a 


f*-f1 


44 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


11    (i 


I 


while  I  was  able  to  roll  up  in  a  blanket  on  the  floor;  but  slec})  was  a 
scarce  coinniodity  that  uight.  A  baby  with  the  colic,  who  at  first  excited 
my  sympathy,  fituiUy  aroused  in  me  less  amiable  feelings.  But  the  Eng- 
lish language  has  a  pliability  and  richness  suitable  to  all  occasions.  To- 
ward morning  I  caught  a  few  winks,  but  was  soon  awaked  by  the  girls 
trii)ping  merrily  by  after  the  daily  rations  of  water.  Then  came  the 
mule.  It  M'as  nearly  four  o'clock.  Hastily  despatching  a  cold  breakfast, 
I  mounted.  The  saddle  was  a  crazy  piece  of  antiquity;  but  it  held  to- 
gether as  long  as  I  needed  it.  The  muleteer  and  Jorge,  the  guide,  fol- 
lowed on  foot ;  and  as  we  Mcnt  on  we  were  accompanied  part  of  the  way 
by  villagers  going  out  to  work  in  the  fields.  The  morning  was  gloj'ious. 
.Bay,  oleander,  and  arbutus  hedged  the  road  ;  the  whistle  of  blackbirds 
M'as  heard  far  and  near ;  sometimes  we  flushed  a  partridge  or  started  a 
rabbit.  The  truncated  outline  of  the  cone  was  wreathed  by  light,  rosy 
clouds,  and  its  summit  burned  like  a  living  coal  in  the  glow  of  the  rising 
sun,  while  the  lower  part  was  still  hidden  in  shadow  and  mist.  It  seemed 
a  huge  altar  on  which  the  Titans  of  old  were  sacrificing  their  morning 
oblations  to  the  Lord  of  the  Universe. 

Aftev  climbing  four  thousand  feet,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the  mule 
behind  in  charge  of  a  neat-herd,  and  scramble  up  the  unbi'oken  slope  of 
the  cone  on  foot.  It  was  a  very  hard  climb  vi  over  three  thousand  feet, 
without  a  break,  as  if  one  were  to  creep  up  a  dome  of  that  size.  At  one 
o'clock,  after  i>'reat  exertion,  we  scaled  the  rockv  wall  of  the  first  crater, 
and  looked  into  it  as  one  might  look  down  into  an  ancient  fortress  from 
its  battlements.  The  sides  are  perpendicular,  avei-aging  seventy  feet  in 
lieight".  except  in  one  place,  where  a  breach  has  been  made.  It  is  a})- 
parentl}'  about  three  hundred  yards  in  diameter,  and  oft'ers  the  most  com- 
plete spectacle  of  d'.  ..^lation  I  ever  beheld.  Masses  of  scoriai  and  black- 
ened lava  lie  strewn  around  its  floor,  like  fi-agments  of  shattered  towers; 
nowhere  is  there  the  slightest  sign  of  life;  not  a  bird,  not  a  blade  of  grass, 
is  to  be  seen.  On  one  side  is  the  little  peak,  soaring  like  the  grim  keep  of 
a  castle.  It  is  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  stands  on  a  platform  of  lava, 
M'hic'h  is  again  supported  by  long  buttresses,  rugged  and  twisted,  like  the 
writhing  limbs  of  tremendous  dragons  suddenly  stiffened  into  stone. 

The  huat  was  intense  in  the  crater,  and  my  thirst  was  such  as  up  wine 
could  (piench.  Fortunately,  we  found  a  bowl-like  hollow  in  the  interior 
of  a  cleft  of  a  lava  bowlder,  in  which  was  mysteriously  concealed  a  small 
pool  of  water,  icy  cold,  enclosed  like  the  bulb  of  air  in  a  spirit-level.  The 
aperture  was  just  lai-gc  enough  to  admit  head  and  shoulders.  Outside  of 
the  rock  was  the  heat  of  the  tropics,  and  within  the  coolness  of  winter. 


m 


THE   AZOKKS. 


45 


T( 


of 
ava, 
the 


0  of 


Having  Innclicd,  wc  grappled  with  the  little  peak,  an  undertaking  at- 
tended with  some  hazard,  owing  to  its  height,  its  excessive  steepness,  and 
the  character  of  its  formation.  It  is  composed  of  loose  blocks  of  lava, 
which  are  easily  detached,  and  roll  bounding  to  the  bottom,  threatening 
tiie  footing  or  the  head  of  the  climbei-.  When  half-way  up,  Jorge,  who 
was  in  advance,  dislodged  a  large  stone.  "  Look  out!"  he  ci'ied.  1  dodged 
my  head  just  in  time,  but,  instinctively  raising  my  arm,  received  a  blow 
which  disabled  my  hand  for  several  days.  On  reaching  the  top,  we  found 
a  slightly  depressed  crater,  perha])s  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  out  of 
which  issued  a  thin,  hot  v  .por.  The  stones  were  sufficiently  warm  to 
make  a  change  of  position  agreeable.  Sitting  on  the  edge  of  this  pin- 
nacle, I  felt  much  as  one  might  if  seated  at  the  top  of  a  lofty  chinmey. 
The  long  slope  below  seemed  so  perpendicular  that  it  suggested  the  illu- 
sion that  I  mi<>-ht  descend  over  seven  thousand  feet  before  touching  ])ot- 
torn,  if  I  chose  to  take  the  leaj).  I  felt  no  sensation  of  giddiness,  but  a 
certain  awesome  solenniitv,  such  as  one  might  realize  if  he  were  on  the 
apex  of  creation.  Due  can  only  experience  this  effect  on  mountains  which 
stand  entirely  isolated,  like  Pico,  between  sky  and  sea,  and  terminate,  like 
it.  in  a  mimite  pt)int.  Three  thousand  feet  below,  the  scattered  white 
clouds  lay  dreamily,  like  a  tieet  becalmed  ;  and,  below  or  beyond  them, 
Fayal  and  most  of  the  group  of  nine  islaiuls  were  seen  inlaid  on  the  anie- 
thvstine  floor  of  the  vast  ocean.  The  meetino;  of  the  sea  and  skv  line  was 
discerned  with  difficulty.  The  blue  overhead  was  an  intense  and  almost 
opacpie  cobalt.  We  seemed  on  that  point  to  be  ensphered  midway  be- 
tween two  semiglobcs  whose  edges  were  joined  at  the  horizon. 

The  descent  naturally  occupied  less  time,  and  at  dusk  we  re-entered 
\'ellas.  The  villagers  were  chatting  in  their  doors;  a  <>:uitar  tinkled 
in  the  still  air.  IJut  the  tramp  of  the  mule  clattering  down  the  stcej) 
streets,  a  sound  unusual  at  Vellas,  produced  a  sensation.  A  lad,  half  wild 
with  excitement,  dashed  ahead,  shouting,  "  The  American  is  coming!" 
Much  laughter  and  merriment  ensued  ;  once  more  they  all  gathered  at 
Jorge's  house,  and,  tired  as  I  M-as,  I  could  get  no  sleep  for  some  hours. 

Returning  to  Ilorta  at  sunrise  on  the  following  morning,  1  found  an 
invitation  awaiting  me  to  breakfast  at  the  house  of  Count  Santa  Anna. 
Performing  a  hasty  toilet,  I  was  in  season  for  a  charming  stroll  about  the 
grounds.  An  elegant  breakfast  followed,  graced  by  the  ladies  and  gentle- 
men of  his  household.  The  count  is  a  bachelor,  but  his  sister's  family  re- 
sides with  him.  The  Jehu  had  by  this  time  returned  from  San  Jorge, 
and,  when  bi-eakfast  was  over,  I  hastened  on  board:  we  made  all  sail,  j^nd 
glided  past  Monte  de  Guia  out  to  sea,  bound  to  St.  Michael.    The  distance 


nprr^ 


46 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


t    i 


i      1 


11 


1 1     ri;i 

1 1  in 


II 


II 


is  one  Imiulred  iiiul  Hfty-six  iniles,  east-south-east,  and  it  took  us  just  tlwcu 
davs  and  four  nii'lits  tt)  do  it  in,  owin«;  to  calms  and  head-winds. 

On  a  fine  niornino-  in  August  we  eanie  up  with  the  city  Ponta  Delgaihi. 
The  ai)pearance  of  the  place — lying  on  a  gentle  slope,  flanked  by  luxuriant 
orange  plantations  and  volcanic  ])eaks  shar[)ly  seri'ated- — is  very  ple.asing 
from  the  sea.  Other  towns  of  the  same  size  are  also  visible  here  and 
there,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the  island  is  more  prosj)erous  and  inviting 
than  the  shores  of  the  other  islands  of  the  group.  In  effect,  there  is  anch- 
orage along  nearly  the  whole  southern  side  of  St.  Michael,  althouich  M'ith 
southerly  gales  vessels  are  forced  to  make  an  offing.  A  breakwater  was 
begun  twelve  years  ago,  on  the  outer  lip  of  a  sunken  crater,  in  ten  fathoms 
of  water;  it  is  expected  to  aftord  shelter  for  one  hundred  sail,  and  is 
now  gradually  approaching  completion,  in  spite  of  the  terrible  shocks  of 
the  winter  surges,  which  have  several  times  opened  large  breaches. 

The  city  is  faced  with  a  sea-wall,  and  the  landing  is  within  a  hand- 
some jetty,  forming  a  square,  snug  boat-harbor.  This,  with  the  archways, 
church-tower,  and  entrance-gate,  combines  to  impress  one  who  lands  there 
for  the  first  time  with  an  idea  of  local  wealth  and  prosperity  not  entirely 
belied  by  further  ins]»ection  of  the  place.  I'onta  Delgada  is  regularly 
laid  out  and  neatly  kept,  the  streets  are  underdrained  and  well  paved,  and 
the  roads  into  the  country  are  macadamized,  and  aftord  excellent  drive- 
ways. The  churches  are  mnnerous,  and  generally  well  built.  The  value 
of  the  arch  and  tower  is  understood  at  St.  JVIichael.  The  cathedral  is  an 
imposing  edifice  ;  the  belfry  simple,  but  grand  in  its  })roportions,  and  hung 
with  a  chime  of  sweet-toned  bells.  Less  can  be  said  for  the  interior,  al- 
though it  is  not  without  inerit.  I  observed  on  the  walls  a  Papal  dispen- 
sation granting  forty  days'  indulgence  to  those  who  should,  in  however 
small  degree,  contribute  to  the  repairs  on  the  roof.  A  quaint  effect  is 
added  to  the  exterior  by  human -faced,  lion -bodied  gargoyles  springing 
from  the  rear  auii'les  under  the  eaves.  With  the  Church  of  San  Francisco 
is  connected  a  nunnery,  whose  windows  are  i>;uarded  by  massive  ii'on  <>;rat- 
ings;  it  resembles  a  jail  for  the  confinement  of  the  worst  criminals  rather 
than  an  asylum  where  pure  young  virgins  flee  from  a  Micked  world  to 
meditate  on  the  Paraclete  and  Paradise.  The  convents  in  the  Azores  had 
become  so  corrupt  that  Dom  Pedro  I.  abolished  them  some  thirty  years 
aijo,  as  before  stated;  but  this  one  is  allowed  to  exist  bv  limitation  Priests 
are  numerous  in  the  streets,  which  are  otherwise  cheerful  and  attractive. 

There  is  considerable  ti-afHc  between  town  and  country,  and  much 
passing  of  peasants  driving  loaded  asses  and  nudes;  and  the  rattle  of 
crazy  hacks, furiously  driven  and  diawn  by  refractory  mules, is  not  uncom- 


1 

i 


J 


Till':   AZOHHS. 


47 


111(111.  Onec  a  (lay  an  aiiti([no  oiiinibns  rmi!<  to  Alafjoa,  a  town  nine  miles 
off  down  the  coast.  Some  really  handsome  e(jiiipa<2;cs,  with  attendants 
in  livery,  are  ocurasionally  seen.  St.  Michael  boasts  a  baron,  a  viscount, 
and  a  marquis,  all  of  its  own  raisinji;  The  mansions  and  _ii:;ardens  of  these 
gentry  are  snmptnous,  well  laid  out  and  stocked  with  exotics,  noticeable 
anioiii!;  them  the  Norfolk  pine.  Ihit  the  oraiii;;e  plantations  are  the  glory 
of  St.  i\[ichael,  and  they  spread  over  the  whole  island.  Every  plantation 
is  surrounded  by  high  walls  of  lava  stone,  within  which  are  again  ])lanted 
rows  of  the  inseiis(»-tree,  which  forms  a  dense  growth  to  a  considerable 
height;  and,  protected  by  this  double  enclosure  from  the  furious  winter 
winds — for  the  Azores  aro  in  the  line  of  the  severest  Atlantic  gales — the 
orange-tree  spreads  its  glossy  foliage  and  bears  its  golden  fruit;  and  an 
ainph;  croj)  it  is:  8r)0,0(»0  boxes,  twenty  to  the  ton,  are  annually  exporte<l. 
J>y  the  middle  of  October  the  long  jn'ocession  of  mules  and  donkeys  be- 
gins to  wend  down  the  mountains  to  the  (Mty,  laden  with  the  fruit  wlii(!h 
is  to  gladden  many  firesides  in  foreign  lands.  At  the  same  time  the 
schooners  and  barks  begin  to  arrive  fi-oni  abroad  to  M-aft  spicy  odors  tu 
the  wharves  of  England  and  America.     This  continues  until  April. 


MAHKET-DAY    IN    FATAL. 


Besides  the  activity  of  the  orange  season,  Fridays  and  Sundays,  beinn 
the  market-days,  are  always  blithesome  occasions,  full  of  bustle  and  life! 


^r 


48 


THE   ATL,' 


iSLAx\l)S. 


il  '!13 


!i  Ji! 


The  people  colloot  then  in  lie'  tttiro  to  buy,  sell,  or  cx(rliani?o  the-' 

wares,  and  one  lias  a  <food  oj)}.  .nity  of  ohservitiiij  all  classes  in  St.  Mi- 
chael. The  people  of  that  island  more  nearly  resemble  the  parent  stock 
than  the  natives  of  the  other  islands.  The  men  are  handsome,  and  the 
children  are  often  excccdiny-ly  beautiful:  but  of  the  women  less  can  be 
said.  Pleasinii;  in  maidenhotxl,  earlv  child-bearinii;  and  hard  lai>or  in  the 
fields  soon  rob  them  of  their  oharnis.  The  heavy  capote  is  very  common 
there,  and  the  streets  look  as  if  every  othei'  woman  were  a  mm,  .yiviui^ 
a  sombre  effect  to  street  scenes,  which,  indeed,  lack  a  certain  somethin<>^ 
to  give  them  character.  On  analyzing  the  rpiestion,  I  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  addition  of  more  variety  and  brilliance  of  color  in  the 
dress  of  the  people  is  what  is  wanting  to  complete  the  effect  one  would 
expect  in  a  place  like  Ponta  Delgada.  The  population  of  St.  Michael  is 
about  115,000,  of  which  Ponta  Delgada  contains  25,000.  The  females 
are  SOOO  in  excess,  owing  partly  to  the  lawful  emigration  of  males  to 
Portugal  and  Prazil. 

Twenty-five  miles  from  the  capital  are  the  thermal  sjirings  called  the 
Furnas,  whose  waters,  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  have  been  a 
salutary  resort  for  many  years.  They  are  reached  by  an  excellent  car- 
riage-road, winding  through  the  most  romantic  scenery.  These  springs 
are  apparently  a  sort  of  safety-valve  for  the  volcanoes  of  the  Azores. 
Although  Pico  is  now  half  comatose,  it  has  been  active  within  a  hundred 
years,  while  it  is  scarcely  thirty  years  since  St.  (leorge  was  the  scene  of  a 
terrific  catastrophe,  the  whole  summit  of  that  island  ap])earing  to  be  more 
or  less  overrun  by  subterranean  fires  and  melted  lava,  bursting  forth  from 
many  sources,  and  nearly  depopulating  it.  Nor  is  it  uncommon  for  islands 
to  spring  np  in  those  waters,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  iVfichael,  and, 
after  a  short  stay  above  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  to  disappear  as  suddenly 
as  they  rose. 

After  a  stay  of  some  days,  we  again  embarked  on  the  Julm^  whicjli, 
diu'ing  the  interval,  had  been  lying  (»ff  and  on  in  charge  of  the  mate,  and 
started  for  home  by  way  of  Pico  and  St.  Cleorge.  Toward  morning  Ave 
took  a  breeze  from  sou'-west,  and  the  bark  boomed  along  at  a  spanking 
rate.  A  heavy  squall  brought  us  down  to  close-reefed  topsails,  and  under 
this  canvas  we  flew  till  noon,  when  "Land  ho-o-o-o!"  was  the  cry;  and 
there,  sure  enough,  was  the  loom  of  land  through  the  mist  on  the  weather 
bow.  But  what  land  \  Pico  was  the  island  for  which  we  were  bound, 
but  some  said  this  was  Terceira;  others,  St.  George,  Yet  how  we  could 
have  deviated  so  as  to  make  either  of  these  in  a  run  of  only  a  hundred 
miles  it  was  impossible  to  say.     An  hour  brought  us  near  enough  to  ascer- 


THE  AZUUKS. 


49 


i 


tain  that  it  was  St.  George,  and  tliat  we  were  over  twenty  miles  out  of  our 
course.  Had  tliu  galo  continued  or  the  fog  not  lifted,  the  consequences 
might  iuive  been  serious.  It  turned  out  that  a  chisel  had  been  thought- 
lessly left  in  the  binnacle,  thus  affecting  the  needle.  St.  George  looked 
very  grand  and  grim  with  the  thunderous  evening  clouds  enshrouding  his 
lu'ow,  lit  here  and  there  by  fiery  gleams  of  sunset,  luu*  two  days  we 
drifted  with  the  currents  back  and  forth  in  a  calm,  between  Pico,  St. 
Geor-re,  and  Terceira.  Angra,  tiie  chief  town  of  Terceira,  is  the  residence 
of  the  (Jovenior  i»f  the  Azores.     Here  also  is  a  college,  with  law  and  theo- 


HOSPITAL    OK    VILLAFKANCA    DO    CAMl'O,   KAYAI,. 


logical  sciliools  attached.  The  island  ])i-oduces  oranges  abundantly,  and  is 
noteworthy  as  the  seat  of  intellect  and  the  residence  of  the  crime  de  la 
ci'i'ine  of  Azoreau  society.  A  great  naval  battle  for  the  possession  of  Ter- 
ceira was  fought  off  Port  Angra,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  between  the 
Spaniards  and  the  Franco-Portuguese  fleet. 

St.  George,  without  presenting  any  striking  isolated  peak,  is  very  high 
land  throughout  its  extent  of  thirty  miles,  falling  everywhere  sheer  down 
to  the  water  from  a  plateau,  except  at  the  southern  end,  where  it  slopes 
very  slightly,  and  its  ])recipitous  sides  are  deeply  grooved.  The  villages 
are  small  aiul  the  population  is  thin,  yet  more  than  enough  to  till  the 


'¥,  .^r  ■"' 


50 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


iffl  ti 


i  ! 


I    if 


i  I    i:jl'! 


il  lii 


anvl)lc  soil.  Wheat,  cat  tie,  and  elicese  are  tlic  jiroducts  of  tliirf  island. 
Ueof  and  foNvls  aro  cheap,  and  canaries  are  plenty,  as  on  all  the  islands 
of  the  ^roiip,  of  a  rnssct-j^reon  hue,  but  warblin*^  a  full  rich  son<;:  they 
serve  a  double  jiurposc  in  the  A/orca — to  sin<i;  and  to  fin-nish  tidbits — 
and  very  delicate  they  are,  whether  in  a  caj^e  or  on  a  platter. 

On  the  21st,  we  api)roachcd  St.  (Teoi\i:fe,  and  were  boarded  by  a  boat, 
which  had  eluded  the  reveinie  ofKcers  and  conie  in  quest  of  tt)bacco. 
Larcje  quantities  of  the  weed  arc  sinui;<]jled  into  the  islands,  often  by 
whiile-ships,  and  at  an  enormous  profit.  In  tiie  evening!;  signal-lights  were 
seen  both  on  IMco  and  St.  George,  indicating  that  fugitives  were  there 
waiting,  as  by  previous  arrangement,  to  steal  off  to  the  vessel ;  but  she  again 
drifted  too  far  out  with  the  current  in  the  calm.  Pico  Peak  showed  mag- 
niticently  at  sundown,  in  one  of  the  most  supcrl)  sunsets  I  have  seen  at 
sea.  On  the  22d,  we  stood  close  in  to  Pico,  ffivinu;  the  aijent  of  the  Inter- 
national  Transatlantic  Submarine  liailroad  an  opportunity  to  identify  the 
vessel  and  mature  his  jdans.  We  also  saw  a  revenue-boat  keeping  (;areful 
guard  along  the  shore.  About  nine  in  the  evening  a  brilliant  Hamc,  the 
concerted  signal,  appeared,  flashing  at  intervals  on  St.  George.  We  stood 
in,  and  at  about  ten  a  light  suddenly  shone  out  close  to  the  ship,  and  a 
boat  was  soon  vaiz-uelv  discerned. 

As  they  came  up,  "  Is  this  an  American  ship  ?"  was  the  hail. 

"  Yes." 

"  What's  her  name  ?" 

"  The  Surprise:' 

"  Is  she  going  to  Boston  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Does  she  take  passengers  ?" 

"  Yes." 

Then  they  pulled  along-side  and  boarded  us,  bringing  four  passengers. 
Soon  after  midnight  another  boat  came  up  with  four  more  passengers, 
and  informed  ns  that  several  were  waitino;  for  us  on  the  other  side  of  St. 
George,  M'here  no  guards  ai"e  kept,  owing  to  its  inaccessible  character,  so 
that  the  embarkation  can  take  place  there  in  the  daytime ;  although  there 
they  have  to  slip  down  steep  ledges,  and  sometimes  swim  several  yards 
through  the  surf  to  the  boats,  as  the  sea  is  often  too  high  to  allow  a  l)oat 
to  land.  An  English  brig  had  taken  off  eighty  from  that  side  a  few  days 
before  our  arrival. 

At  daylight  we  squared  away  for  the  eastern  side  of  St.  George,  run- 
ning under  its  lee  with  a  very  stiff  breeze,  coming  down  the  gorges  in  ter- 
rific squalls— and  what  high  land  that  is !     From  the  central  ridge  the 


■pi 


THK   AZOUIvS. 


51 


liiiid  slopes  gently  two  miles,  and  then,  along  its  whole  length  of  thirty 
niiies,  falls  almost  perpendicularly  from  ()(»(>  to  1500  feet,  usually  nearer 
the  latter  than  the  former  figure  ;  a  tremendous  spectacle,  as  mile  after 
mile  was  passed,  and  still  no  break  in  that  Titanic  wall,  (Corrugated  with 
black  gorges  and  gulches.  It  made  the  scene  still  more  imjjressive  to  ob- 
serve how  every  available  })atch  of  earth  is  everywhere  terraced  and  culti- 
vated by  man,  who  hero  seems  iitted  both  ^vitll  wings  and  claws  to  till  the 
soil  on  bits  of  sl(»pe,  at  an  angle  of  sixty-iive  degrees,  to  the  very  edge  of 
])recipices  that  drop  hundreds  of  feet  to  the  ever-beating  surge  below. 


JtlTV     or    I'ONTA    UELOADA,   ST.   MU'IIAEL. 


of  St. 

"A 

ter.  so 
there 

•J 

yards 

"•y. 

I  boat 

'i 

V  davs 

■.:e 

About  noon  the  treacherous  wind  lulled,  and  the  bark  began  setting  in 
toward  the  land.  By  great  effort  and  by  skilfully  seizing  a  flaw,  they 
contrived  to  work  her  out  into  the  wind  again  and  into  control.  Then 
smoke  was  seen  on  Ponto  Ferrado.  We  sent  off  a  boat,  which  met  another 
coming  off  with  a  single  passenger.  The  boatmen  said  others  were  wait- 
ing to  come  on  board,  and  therefore  returned ;  but  as  they  were  scattered 
about  the  neighborhood  secretly  bidding  their  friends  farewell,  it  might 
take  some  time  to  collect  them,  so  we  braced  the  yards  and  stood  over 
toward  Graciosa,  or  the  Beautiful  Isle — rightly  named,  if  one  may  judge 
from  its  appearance  as  seen  from  the  sea.  When  we  again  stood  in  for 
St.  George,  a  sail  loomed  up  suddenly  close  to  us,  white  in  the  light  of  the 
moon.     Four  more  passengers  now  arrived,  and  the  boat  was  then  hauled 


tt-i^""' 


i! 


62 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


tm  (lock  with  its  crew,  iiiclndin^  the  ai>'c'nt  of  the  1.  T.  S.  li.  11.  We  hiy 
olT  and  on  all  night,  the  squalls  blowiiiij;  with  the  fury  oi  j)ainj)c'ros.  A 
Bignal-light  was  seen  several  times;  but  at  sunrise  such  a  swell  was  rolling; 
in,  that  landing  was  out  of  the  question,  and  we  stood  on  beyond  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  island.  After  a  few  hours  we  again  headed  for  the  ren- 
dezvous, passing  near  to  "  I'adre,"  a  colossal  statue  223  feet  in  height,  off 
Resales  Point,  hewn  by  nature  out  of  the  rock,  and  vividly  resembling  a 
venerable  priest,  kneeling,  in  his  vestments.  A  boat  was  sent  ashore,  but 
not  returning  when  expected,  its  loss  in  the  surf  was  surmised,  and  an- 
other boat  was  sent  in  quest  of  it.  After  a  Ion;  niterval,  both  boats  re- 
turned with  oidy  three  i)assengers.  A  smoke  »cing  then  discerned  on 
another  spot,  a  boat  was  again  sent  off,  returning  this  time  with  a  young 
fellow  who  had  been  burning  brushwood  for  us  all  night. 

But  in  the  mean  time  those  on  board  were  fully  occupied.  In  his 
anxiety  to  procure  passengers,  the  captain  had  allowed  his  ship  to  come 
too  near  the  land,  which  is  so  lofty  that  when  it  is  blowing  a  gale  of  wind 
off  shore,  it  is  often  a  dead  calm  close  in ;  and  it  is  even  more  hazardous 
to  be  becalmed  off  8t.  George  than  off  the  other  islands,  because  on  that 
side,  in  addition  to  the  currents,  there  is,  even  in  the  mildest  weather,  a 
heavy  northerly  swell  tumbling  in.  About  five  it  M'as  evident  that  the 
ship  was  drifting  landward ;  and  it  became  necessary  to  put  forth  every 
effort,  as  we  were  nearing  the  cliffs  fast.  The  three  boats  were  got  out, 
and  all  hands,  including  the  male  steerage  passengers,  were  put  to  rowing, 
Avithout,  however,  making  any  impression  in  checking  the  dead-drift  of 
the  bark  shoreward.  Black  overhead  loomed  the  tremendous  cliffs,  manv 
hundred  feet  above  us,  frowning  under  a  heavy  canopy  of  cloud  that  grad- 
ually veiled  the  upper  crags.  Night  was  at  hand,  the  barometer  was  low, 
and  all  signs  were  ominous  of  a  change  of  weather.  The  WM-iter  was  at 
the  wheel,  with  orders  to  watch  for  the  first  breath  of  air,  to  bring  the  ves- 
sel up  to  it.  There  seemed  a  little  trying  to  come  from  the  north-east,  but 
not  enough  to  stop  the  ship  in  her  drift  toward  the  rocks,  where  the  long 
ocean-swell  broke  with  a  sullen  and  ceaseless  thunder.  At  last  there  came 
a  smart  shower,  and  then  a  gentle,  almost  imperceptible,  flaw,  "  Keep  her 
up !"  roared  the  captain,  half  beside  himself  with  anxiet}'.  The  air  came 
again  ;  the  sails  began  to  fill,  and,  gathering  way,  the  bark  again  responded 
to  the  helm.  Gradually  she  drew  off  shore,  the  boats  were  called  in,  and 
slowly  we  gained  two  miles,  and  began  to  feel  more  easy,  although  not 
realizing  until  later  from  what  a  shipwreck  we  had  escaped.  We  w-ere  all 
at  sup^wr, when  the  cabin-boy  came  down  and  said,  "It  looks  awful  black 
to  windward !"     The  cabin  was  cleared  in  half  a  wink ;  then  the  ship  rung 


TIIK    AZOIJKS. 


53 


;n 


runj; 


with  the  tramp  of  feet,  tlic  frnntir  sliniits  of  tlio  oflicers,  tlin  croiikiTii!:  of 
l)li)cks,  and  tlic  furious  tliq-piiii;  of  sails.  The  winall  was  very  licivo.  Not 
havitii?  sea-rootn  for  nmiiini;  <»ff  heforc  it,  as  is  usual  with  sciiiare-riirj^cd 
vessels  in  such  an  einer^'ency,  the  vessel  was  hroui^ht  up  in  the  wind's  eye 
just  in  tinuj  to  save  j!;«)ini;  on  her  heain-ends  or  (tarryiuiij  away  her  spars. 
Kithcr  eontinjijcney  woidd  have  resulted  in  the  ship's  driftinn;  directly  on 
the  rocks,  and  goin^  to  pieces  in  the  wild  sea  whi(th  accompanied  the 
s(piall.  nut,thouuh  stiii:;- 
jrering  under  the  Mow, 
cverylliini;  held ;  and 
having  rolling  topsails 
(a  prictelrss  invention), 
the  Jc'/iu  was  soon  un- 
der close-reefed  top-sails 
and  courses,  and  with 
this  canvas  mana<i;ed  to 
(tlaw  off  ten  miles  of 
leo-shorc  and  make  an 
ofhng. 

It  hlew  a  2:alc  of 
wind  all  nijrht,  hacking 
more  into  the  north  at 
daylight,  when  we  con- 
cluded to  run  for  a  lee  under  Fayal,  thirty  miles  away.  The  wind  shift- 
ing several  points,  wc  made  instead  for  the  strait  hetwcen  Pico  aiid  St. 
(iieorge,  and  hove  to  under  Pico,  the  hase  of  whose  stupendous  cone  was 
wreathed  with  luminous  clouds,  running  np  the  weather  sloi)c  like  surf 
dashing  up  the  sides  of  a  light-liouse.  During  the  afternoon  1  saw  at  one 
time  seven  rainbows  in  a  row,  each  brilliant  and  defined  witli  perfect  dis- 
tinctness. The  wind  shifting  to  sou'-wcst,  aiul  blowing  very  fresh,  we  lay 
to  around  Pico  until  the  27th,  when,  although  the  weather  was  still  very 
dubious,  we  again  ran  for  the  north  side  of  St.  George  to  land  the  agent 
of  the  I.  T.  S.  R.  R.,  who  would  laiul  nowhere  else,  lest  he  be  nabbed  by 
the  (juarda-costa,  and  made  to  ])ay  dear  for  running  Portuguese  off  the 
islands.  A  boat  with  the  second  mate  and  the  best  half  of  the  crew  was 
sent  ashore  to  land  the  agent,  while  we  stood  out  to  sea  again,  taking  in 
sail  after  sail  as  we  again  passed  Padre,  and  having  a  hard  day's  work  of 
it,  short-handed  as  we  wei-e.  Mr.  Looby,  the  Jiiate,  a  very  vabiable  officer, 
on  whotn,  owing  to  his  efficiency,  the  safety  of  the  ship  depended  much 
more  than  on  the  captain,  had  not  slept  four  out  of  the  hnst  forty-six  hours. 


A    »T.    HK'IIAKL    WAUUN. 


1^  'If         "'Wl, 


. 


I    mm 


!  ir 


54 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


Toward  niglit  we  stood  in  and  pickod  up  the  boat.  Iler  crew  wei'c  in  high 
dudgeon,  on  account  of  the  perilous  expedition  iipon  which  they  had  been 
sent ;  but  the  captain  had  the  good  sense  to  hold  his  peace,  treated  the 
men  to  a  stiff  glass  of  grog,  and  the  affair  blew  over.  AV^e  lay  oft'  and  on 
all  night  oft"  St.  George,  and  the  next  day  ran  out  past  Pico,  returning  be- 
tween the  two  islands  at  sundown.  It  Mas  now  calm,  the  moon  near  the 
full ;  and  soon  the  expected  beacon-flame  was  seen  blazing  at  intervals  at 
Calheta  on  St.  Geor«>;e.  We  ran  in  and  showed  our  \vA\t  in  the  riffcjinf!:, 
and  about  eleven  a  largo  launch  appeared  bringing  thirteen  passengers, 
including  several  women  and  children.  This  comj)leted  the  number  we 
could  get  from  St.  George,  full  twenty  less  than  promised  But  the  season 
was  advanced,  and  the  supply  was  running  low,  over  one  thousand  having 
already  left  the  islands  during  the  summer,  of  whom  the  Jehii,  had  taken 
one  hundred  and  twenty  on  her  previous  trip. 

After  dodging  in  this  unsatisfactory  way  around  Pico  for  several  days 
longer,  and  finding  at  last  that  some  unknown  cause  prevented  the  escape 
of  those  we  wei'e  expecting  from  that  island,  we  put  the  helm  up  and  bore 
away  for  Flores.  A  glorious  breeze  on  the  (piarter  took  us  in  thirteen 
hours  to  Santa  Cruz,  where  we  again  landed  and  remained  three  days, 
which  were  passed  with  nuich  pleasure  rambling  about  the  island,  enjoy- 
ing its  unique  scenery  and  its  hospitable  cheer,  for  which  I  am  much  in- 
debted to  the  unaffected  kindness  of  Dr.  M'Kay,  the  English  consul,  and 
his  amiable  family;  to  Senhor  Pedro  Almeida,  German  consular  agent; 
Senhor  Constantino  Almeida,  collector  of  the  reveimes,  and  other  gentle- 
men. The  bark  meantime  lay  oft"  and  on,  taking  on  board  water  and 
provisions,  and  thirty-tive  more  passengers,  who  had  many  of  them  been 
in  America  and  were  all  able  to  obtain  passports.  Those  who  were  al- 
ready on  board  were  kept  out  of  sight  until  ^hai' pratique  was  obtained; 
after  that  it  was  easy  enough,  and  quite  en  regie,  for  the  guard  left  in  the 
ship  to  wink  hard  when  he  saw  strange  faces  from  time  to  time  creeping- 
out  of  the  steerage. 

It  was  after  nightfall  of  the  5th  of  September  when  everything  was 
ready,  and  we  bade  farewell  to  our  kind  friends,  who  accompanied  us  to 
the  beach.  The  islesmen  carried  us  on  their  shoulders  to  the  boat  and 
shoved  off.  We  rode  over  the  rollers  at  the  entrance  of  the  little  port,  and 
pushed  out  on  the  wide  ocean  to  seek  the  Jehu,  which  had  drifted  with  the 
current  in  the  calm  nine  miles  to  the  southward.  Heartily  the  eight  boat- 
men bent  to  the  huge  oars,  accompanying  the  movement  with  a  rude  song. 
The  night  was  perfectly  still,  but  cloudy.  Seaward  a  thin  mist  veiled  the 
mysterious  deep ;  on  our  right  the  steep  crags  of  Flores  loomed  high  and 


:  ■-*: 


THE  AZOir':s. 


55 


iiir 


t,  and 


song. 


.■5!. 


i 


dim;  the  long  swell  of  the  ever-panting  bosom  of  the  ocean  was  like  glass; 
and  yet  from  the  hollow  eaves  came  the  eternal  boom  of  the  surf-billows 
tluit  have  beaten  tliat  wild  coast  ever  since  it  first  arose  to  view.  At 
lengtli  the  ship's  light  became  faintly  visible,  and  then  the  vague  outline 
of  spars  and  sails  duskily  limned  against  the  sky,  and  forms  moving  eerily 
before  the  lights;  and  then  M-as  heard  the  sighing  of  the  sails  languidly 
swinging  to  and  fro  with  the  idle  roll  of  the  phantom-like  bark;  then  the 
rush  of  feet  on  deck ;  the  shrill  orders  of  the  mate ;  the  shadow  of  the 
great  fabric  above  us ;  the  Hash  of  a  broad  light  in  our  dazzled  eyes ;  the 
grappling  with  the  ship ;  the  hurried  scramble  up  her  black  sides  into  the 
smig  security  and  comfort  of  a  good,  trim  clijiper  and  a  cosy  cabin ;  and  a 
rousing  cup  of  tea,  and  a  brace  of  as  tender  and  savorily  roasted  ducks  as 
ever  tempted  an  anchorite  to  forego  a  while  his  crust  and  acorns. 

For  eight  days  we  had  mild,  fair  winds,  and  the  guitar  and  the  love- 
song  rung  through  the  ship  early  and  late.  By  the  starlight  the  steerage 
passengers  gathered  in  the  gangway  and  listened  to  the  vocal  songs  of  isl- 
and improvisatores.  One,  M'ith  a  guitar,  sung  a  couplet  ending  in  a  female 
rhyme,  and  another  responded,  repeating  the  last  line  and  adding  a  coup- 
let of  his  own,  the  subject  constantly  vai-ying,  with  allusions  to  whatever 
most  interested  singers  and  listeners.  The  versification  was  smooth,  and 
the  refrain,  although  monotonous,  was  not  unmusical.  Evidently  we  here 
had  poetry  in  its  bucolic  form,  as  exemplified  by  Theocritus  and  Virgil ; 
the  Azorcan  bards  "ave  us  <>;enuine  ecloi'ues  even  if  rude.  This  blended 
form  of  poetry  and  music,  still  common  in  the  East,  is  undoubtedly  the 
earliest  mode  in  which  the  twin  arts  found  expression.  One  night  we  had 
a  sort  of  rustic  ball  in  the  steerage ;  merry  was  the  music  of  violin  and 
guitar,  and  lively  was  the  dancing  by  the  feeble  light  of  a  smoky  lantern, 
which  gave  a  Kembrandtesque  effect  to  this  unique  and  romantic  scene. 

An  affray  between  the  second  mate  and  the  cook  broke  the  calm  in 
which  we  were  basking,  and  seemed  a  tit  prelude  to  the  boisterous  weath- 
er which  attended  us  during  the  last  fortnight  of  the  passage.  Captain 
JJrown  was  playing  cribbage  with  Mrs.  Brown  on  the  quarter-deck  one 
afternoon ;  most  of  the  steerage  passengers  were  lying  here  and  there  sun- 
ning themselves,  or  embroidering  and  chatting  together.  The  watch  were 
engaged  splicing  ropes  or  patching  old  sails ;  and  all  was  so  peaceful  that 
the  musical  plash  of  the  water  could  be  heard  against  the  ship's  side  as 
she  slii)ped  along  at  a  lazy  six  knots  an  hour.  Suddenly  angry  voices, 
sharp  and  loud,  disturbed  tiie  quiet,  and  in  an  instant  Manuel,  the  second 
nuite,  had  the  cook  on  his  back  in  tlie  gangway  and  was  ferociously  thump- 
ing his  head  on  the  deck.     All  was  then  in  an  up'-oar.     The  combatants 


ii  \ 


h 


''      Wl 


i 

I 

h 

111 


56 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


were  from  different  islands;  and  while  the  women  set  np  a  wailing  and 
shrieking,  swaying  their  bodies  back  and  forth  in  wild  frenzy,  the  men, 
both  crew  and  steerage  passengers,  began  to  take  sides.  In  the  mean  time 
Captain  Ih-own  went  on  with  his  game,  willing  to  let  them  fight  it  out 
among  themselves  nntil  further  developments.  But  the  twitching  of  his 
face  showed  that  he  M'aa  keeping  half  an  eye  to  windward.  The  crisis 
arrived  when  the  man  at  the  wheel  struck  eight  bells,  and  the  man  who 
was  to  relieve  him,  instead  of  going  aft,  lingered  to  look  on,  and  perhaps 
take  a  hand  in  the  tight.  "What  are  von  doing  there?  whv  don't  vou  ffo 
to  your  wheel?"  roared  the  captain  to  him.  "I  will  when  I'm  ready,  sir," 
answered  the  half-mutinous  Portuguese.  Up  leaped  the  captain,  standijig 
six  feet  two  in  his  stockings,  and  heavily  built  at  that;  and  as  if  the  fire 
of  youth  were  once  more  gallo])ing  through  his  veins  for  a  moment,  with 
three  strides  he  reached  the  man,  and  hissing  in  his  ear  with  almost  Sa- 
tanic passion,  "  You'll  come  when  yc  are  ready,  will  ye!  You  go  to  that 
wheel,  or  by  the  living  God  I'll  dash  your  brains  out !"  and  clutching  hirn 
by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  as  one  might  hold  a  wet  rag  or  a  limp  pnppy,  he 
fairly  lifted  him  along  on  his  toes  to  the  wheel  and  planted  him  there. 
This  action  seemed  to  briiig  most  of  the  rioters  to  their  senses;  they  were 
made  instantly  conscious  that  they  were  going  much  further  than  they 
ever  intended.  The  second  mate  and  the  cook  were  separated,  and  the 
former  returned  to  the  forecastle  to  contimie  the  splicing  of  a  pennant. 
But  the  cook,  bm-ning  for  vengeance,  seized  a  cleaver,  and,  creeping 
stealthily  np  behind  Manuel,  was  just  about  to  split  liis  skull,  when  the 
others  interpof.d  and  caught  the  uplifted  arm.  A  sullen  peace  was 
patched  up  after  this  affray,  and  the  heavy  weather  which  succeeded 
tended  to  distract  the  attention  from  a  quarrel,  which,  as  is  not  unusual, 
had  originated  about  a  woman — "  There  was  a  woman  in  the  case." 

Amidst  a  succession  of  variable  gales,  accompanied  by  enormous  seas, 
we  now  worked  our  way  laboriously  toward  Boston,  adding  a  very  narrow 
escape  from  destruction  b}'  fire  to  the  other  incidents  of  the  voyage.  On 
the  twenty-third  day  we  made  Thatcher's  Island  in  a  fog,  ran  down  to  the 
Graves  under  a  stiff  breeze,  and,  rounding  Boston  Light,  cast  anchor  off 
the  quarantine — the  first  time  our  anchor  had  touched  bottom  since  we 
had  sailed  from  India  wharf  on  the  23d  of  July. 


THE  CHANNEL  ISLANDS. 


67 


CHAPTER   ITT. 


T' 


THE  CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 

^IIE  severest  gsile  that  liad  blown  for  several  winters  had  laslied  tlio 
shores  of  Great  Britain.  The  whole  country  was  covered  with  un- 
wonted snows,  and  frozen  by  cold  very  unusual  there.  Many  wrecks  had 
occurred,  and  the  Channel  had,  as  usual,  been  swept  by  the  tempest.  A 
large  steamer  had  foundered  in  its  waters,  and  the  costly  breakwaters  of 
Alderney  and  Jersey  had  been  greatly  damaged.  Hardly  had  the  waves 
yet  subsided  when  the  royal  mail  packet  Soxdliampton  steamed  down  the 
Solent,  past  the  Isle  of  Wight,  at 
midnight,  for  the  Cliannel  Islands. 
But  on  getting  out  into  the  open  sea 
we  found  the  wind  piping  up  again, 
and  a  high  sea  directly  in  our  teeth. 
Accordingly,  we  put  back,  and  lay 
till  morning  in  Yarmouth  Roads. 
The  wind  moderating  at  davlight, 
we  weighed  anchor  and  made  a  sec- 
ond attempt.  All  day  it  blew  fresh, 
with  quite  "a  lump  of  a  sea"  on; 
but  toward  m'ght  Alderney  hove  in 
sight,  then  the  three  light -houses, 
warning  the  mariner  to  give  a  wide 
berth  to  the  Caskets,  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  and  most  celebrated  reefs 
in  the  Atlantic.  On  these  rocks  Prince  William  was  lost,  the  only  son  of 
Henry  L,  after  M'hich  event  it  is  said  the  king  never  smiled  again.  In 
later  times,  the  wreck  of  a  Russian  line-of-battle  ship,  and  of  the  Eng- 
lish man-of-war  Victory ^\s\\\\  eleven  hundred  men  on  board,  have,  among 
other  wrecks,  given  a  melancholy  celebrity  to  the  Caskets.  As  we  neared 
and  passed  this  reef  the  waves  became  greatly  larger  and  more  broken, 
although  the  wind  was  less.     This  was  explained  as  caused  by  the  tides 


58 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


and  coiinter-currents,  which,  owiiii^  to  the  very  iiTegidar  diameter  of  the 
adjoiniiicr  coast  of  Normandy  and  the  numerous  sunken  ledges  surround- 


ST,   PETER'S    POUT,   GUERNSEY. 

ing  the  channel,  combine  with  the  extraordinary  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide 
to  render  navigation  in  this  archipelago  generally  rough,  and  in  the  winter 
season  hazardous. 

Picking  her  way  carefully  between  the  various  pitfalls  which  line  the 
entrance  to  St.  Peter's  Port,  the  steamer  moored  along-side  the  pier  after 
nightfall.  As  I  wound  my  way  up  the  steep  winding  streets  to  my  lodg- 
ings, it  seemed  as  if  I  had  fallen  upon  some  old  fortified  rock  town  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  and  the  in^pression  was  not  altogether  contradicted  by  in- 
spection of  the  place  by  daylight.  St.  Peter's  Port  has  a  population  of 
16,000,  females  being  in  an  excess  of  nearly  a  third,  as  is  also  the  case  in 
Jersey.  It  is  built  on  a  slope  of  considerable  steepness,  rising  two  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  and  consists  of  the  old  and  the  new  town.  The 
former  faces  the  port,  and  is  fronted  by  a  pleasant  esplanade,  ornamented 
with  trees  and  protected  by  a  sea-wall.  The  port  itself,  originally  built 
by  Edward  I.,  is  entirely  artificial,  and  has  been  enlarged  in  later  years 
with  great  labor  and  expense.  On  a  rock  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  piers 
stands  Castle  Cornet,  a  massive  pile  without  much  beauty,  but  dating  back, 
it  is  said,  to  the  Romans,  and  presenting  various  interesting  additions  since 
then.  It  suffered  greatly,  three  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  explosion  of  its 
powder-magazine,  which  was  struck  by  lightning.  The  main  pier  or  break- 
water lies  at  right  angles  to  the  waves  of  south-east  gales,  which  ai"e  very 
savage  in  those  waters.  Nothing  can  be  wilder  than  to  see  an  immense 
breaker  swooping  down  on  the  massive  wall,  and  then  dashing  to  a  great 
height  into  the  air,  a  gray  ghostly  mist  that  is  immediately  torn  away  by 


liiik. 


THE  CHANNEL  ISLANDS. 


59 


the  i^ale  <aiid  swept  across  tlio  harbor.  Coining  once  from  Jersey  in  a  tre- 
mendous south-easter,  the  steamer  I  was  on  was  taken  by  tlie  undertow 
swelling  up  into  a  huge  mound  of  grec!i  water  as  it  fell  off  from  the  break- 
water; she  was  lifted  high  in  air,  whii-led  beyond  control  of  the  steersman, 
and  came  within  an  ace  of  crushinii:  in  her  side  against  the  lee  breakwater 
at  the  entrance.  They  concluded  not  to  venture  out  again  that  day,  but 
lav  snug  imtil  the  next  mornini>:,  when  the  weather  moderated. 

(Jn  the  esplanade  is  a  really  very  tine  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Prince 
Albert,  and  close  at  iiand  is  a  bronze  plate  stating  that  the  <piecu  and  her 
consort  landed  on  that  spot  in  184G.  Immediately  adjoining  stands  the 
parish  church,  as  it  is  called,  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  in  the  islands,  and 
in  some  respects  the  one  most  worthy  of  attention  for  architectural  beauty. 
The  style  is  Flamboyant  Gothic,  and  it  is  enriched  by  beautiful  stained 
windows.  "Wandering  about  the  steep 
narrow    lanes    radiating    from    this  ^"r  -. 

(choice  and  venerable  relic  of  antiq- 
uity, one  is  astonished  to  lind  such 
stern  massiveness  in  the  buildinij::-], 
such  winding  irregularity  in  the  nar- 
row streets,  and  a  steepness  that  ne- 
cessitates the  most  curious  succession 
of  long  stairways,  with  cross -lanes 
meeting  at  the  landings  leading  up 
to  other  narrower  steps,  all  in  the 
most  quaint  and  unexpected  manner. 

The  new  town  may  be  said  to 
begin  with  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  and 
extends  back  of  the  old  town  north 
and  south,  generally  more  level,  and 
always  pleasing.  While  in  the  old 
town  the  houses  are  almost  entirely 
of  sombre  granite,  in  the  new  they 
are  as  universally  stuccoed,  and  tint- 
ed of  a  soft  cream  or  brown  tint.  I 
think  it  would  be  difficult  within  the  same  space  to  find  elsewhere  so  many 
charming  streets  and  houses  as  in  St.  Peter's  Port,  giving  an  air  of  unos- 
tentatious competence.  On  almost  every  one  is  painted  either  the  family 
name  or  some  pleasing  title  in  English  or  French,  as  "  Merida  Villa,"  or 
"  Bon  Repos,"  while  in  front  are  little  garden-plots,  neatly  kept,  or  rows  of 
ivied  elms;  ivy  also  clings  lovingly  to  the  surrounding  walls.     Everywhere 


MONUMENT    TO    I'RINCK    ALHtUT,   GlEHNSEY. 


60 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


Ml 

4. 

i 


«0:*r-: 


^i^--''m^mpW'^',  I ' 


.. ^^^'^i^^y:^^:^ 

MAIIKET-PLACE    AT    ST.   PETEIl's    POUT,   GUEKNSET. 

one  comes  across  these  cheerful,  liome-like  streets,  leadincj  to  pleasant  in- 
land views,  -with  a  central  spire  surmounting^  some  time-worn  chapel  of 
])ast  ages,  where  still  the  villagers  meet  with  undiminished  devotion. 

Not  an  unimportant  addition  to  the  pleasure  a  stranger  takes  in  ram- 
bling about  St.  Peter's  Port  is  the  physical  beauty  of  those  he  meets.  AVc 
tind  here  the  pure  Norman  race,  the  same  as  that  which  conquered  P)rit- 
ain,  but,  uidikc  that,  scarcely  mixed  with  Saxon  or  any  other  foreign 
blood.  Tiie  men  have  a  fresh,  ruddy  complexion,  an  honest,  frank,  good- 
humored  but  manly  expression.  The  women  have  a  skin  remarkably  fair, 
delicate,  and  clear,  and  features  regular,  expressive,  and  often  beautiful. 
If  but  their  eyes  were  as  brilliant  and  eloquent  as  those  of  their  sisters  of 
Greece  or  America,  they  m  add  present  a  nearly  perfect  type  of  female 
beauty.  And  the  children  are,  of  course,  charming;  and  even  when  they 
run  out  of  the  peasant  houses  in  the  remote  districts  and  beg  the  passer- 
by for  "doubles,"  there  is  a  witchery  about  them  seldom  found  in  beggars 
elsewhere.  But  to  speak  of  beggars  in  Guernsey  is  almost  absurd,  for 
extreme  poverty  is  nearly  unknown,  while  almost  every  tiller  of  the  land 
cultivates  a  patrimony  inherited  from  his  ancestors  for  many  centuries, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  find  evidences  of  squalor  in  the  island.  Even  the 
houses  of  the  peasantry  are  neatly  kept,  and  a  clean  lace  or  cambric  cur- 
tain veils  the  lower  windows  of  the  humblest  cots,  while  flowers  and  vines 
are  trained  on  the  window-seat  durinor  the  winter  season. 


'lui. 


THE  CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


61 


Tlie  language  is  the  old  Norman  Fiencli,  pure  and  simple,  although 
the  dialect  of  Guernsey  differs  slightly  from  that  of  Jersey.  English  is 
now  spokcii  by  the  better  families,  and  often  understood  by  those  who  do 
not  use  it  among  themselves.  Services  in  many  of  the  churches,  and  all 
proceedings  in  the  courts  and  Legislature,  are  in  Frencii.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  many,  the  islands  are  in  their  government  very  nearly  inde- 
pendent of  Great  Britain,  to  which  they  owe  a  sort  of  feudal  allegiance. 
In  the  transaction  of  their  own  affairs  they  are  practically  inde[)endent ; 
and,  stranger  still,  Jersey  has  a  government  and  laws  of  its  own,  while 
(iuernsey,  with  the  dependencies  of  Sark  and  Alderney,  is  ruled  by  still 
another  code  and  Leijislature.  The  Leu;islature  consists  in  each  ease  of  a 
Senate-house,  composed  of  the  baihff,  or  chief-justice,  and  the  jurats,  and 
the  Assembly,  including  a  larger  number,  called  the  States,  but  of  less 
influence.  The  laws  still  smack  of  the  rouuh  emergencies  of  the  Middle 
^\ges,  and  are  sometimes  very  arbitrary.  Any  one  who  chooses  to  set  u[> 
a  claim  as  creditor  has  a  right,  on  his  bare  assertion,  to  seize  either  the 
person  or  the  property  of  the  alleged  debtor,  whether  a  native  or  a  stran- 
ger, and  the  debtor  has  no  redress;  on  the  other  hand,  the  sheriff  cannot 
enter  a  house  unless  the  door  l)e  opened  voluntarily,  and,  if  he  desire  t(» 


CUILDUUN  BEOOINU  FOU  "  OOUULCS. " 


T 


62 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


juTCst  a  man  or  woman,  must  sometimes  resort  to  artifice  to  decoy  the  vic- 
tim into  his  clutches,  as,  for  example,  to  send  an  ally  into  the  house  on 
sojne  errand,  who  can  open  the  door  when  the  sheriff  knocks. 

Notwitlistandingj  this  semi-independence,  and  the  fact  that  French  is 
the  popular  and  official  lanijiia<fe,  the  (pieen  boasts  no  su])jects  more  loyal 
than  these  Normans  of  tlie  Isles.  To  question  their  loyalty  is  to  inflict 
insult  almost  amountinijj  to  injury.  Some  of  England's  most  distin<fuished 
soldiers  and  sailors  have  come  from  these  islands,  where  their  names  are 
cherished  Mith  patriotic  pride.  More  than  this:  it  is  the  common  opinion 
here  that,  instead  of  being  a  fief  of  England,  England  herself  owes  her 
allegiance  to  the  lords  of  the  Norman  Isles.  For  why:  these  islands  are 
a  part  of  Normandy,  and  were  such  when  William  of  Normandy  reduced 


ir 


I  .j^^l^fl^fSgj^gZgs 


^Mmmm 


w^m 


DOLMEN     AND    MAKTULLO    TOWEH,   GUEKNSEV. 


Britain  to  subjection  to  Norman  rule.  During  all  the  changes  that  have 
happened  in  the  succeeding  centuries,  they  alone  luive  survived  of  the 
Norman  territory,  and  have  preserved  a  remnant  of  that  race  intact  and 
unmixed  which  laid  England  at  its  feet  and  has  kept  her  subject  ever 
since.  This  is  not  so  absurd,  after  all.  It  is  quite  as  reasonable  for  these 
little  islands  to  be  lords  paramount  of  England  as  for  the  comparatively 
small  England  to  hold  sway,  as  once  she  did,  over  the  whole  of  North 
America,  ITindostan,  Australia,  etc. ;  and  the  apostolic  succession  of  the 
Church  is  scarcely  as  clear  as  the  descent  of  these  Channel  Islanders  froni 
the  fellow-countrymen  of  William  the  Conqueror  and  Richard  Cccur  de 
Lion.  It  may  be  well  to  add  here  that  one  law  exists  in  Guernsey  advan- 
tageous to  foreigners  residing  within  its  limits :  they  are  not  subject  to  the 
payment  of  taxes  unless  holding  real  estate  in  the  island. 

The  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  of  the  group  was  for  several  centuries 
under  the  control  of  the  ^.3ishop  of  Coutances;  but  after  the  doctrines  of 


THE  CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


68 


i 


the  Ilefonnation  wore  universally  accepted  by  the  people,  tlicy  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  diocese  of  the  JJishop  of  Winchester,  who  is  represented  in 
each  island  by  a  dean.  The  islanders  are,  with  few  exceptions,  good  Prot- 
estants ;  churches  and  chapels  abound,  and  are  generally  well  attended. 
Puseyisni  and  ritualism  have,  so  far,  made  little  progress  here  ;  the  Low- 
(Jhurch  still  continues  popular,  while  the  Non-conformists  of  all  the  lead- 
ing sects  are  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Superstition  is  gradually  losing 
its  Iiold,  and  much  genuine  aiul  intelligent  ])iety  doubtless  exists  in  some 
of  these  islands,  J)Ut  in  the  hamlets  most  remote  from  town,  and  among 
the  older  people,  curious  superstitions  still  obtain  belief.  On  Christmas- 
night  there  are  some  even  in  St.  Peter's  Port  who  will  on  no  account  go 
to  a  well  to  draw  water.  Others  Avill  not  venture  into  a  stable  at  mid- 
night lest  they  shotdd  surprise  the  cattle,  asses,  and  sheep  on  their  knees 
worshijiping  the  infant  Saviour.  A  photographer  is  sometimes  regarded 
as  dealing  in  the  black-art,  and  some  refuse  so  far  to  compromise  their 
character  as  to  allow  themselves  to  be  photographed.  In  Guernsey,  at  St. 
George,  is  a  well  called  "  Holy  Well,"  still  visited  by  damsels,  for  on  the 
surface  of  its  waters  maidens  are  said  to  be  able  to  see  the  face  of  their 
future  husbands.  In  Jersey,  near  St.  Clement's,  is  the  Witches'  Rock, 
where,  it  is  said,  the  witches  hold  their  Sabbath :  the  belief  in  witchcraft 
is  not  entirely  extinct  here.  The  marks  on  that  rock  are  confidently  as- 
serted to  be  the  footprints  made  by  his  Satanic  majesty  during  the  visits 
which,  it  is  to  be  feared,  he  makes  quite  too  frequently  in  Jersey  as  well 
as  elsewhere. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  stranger  hears  of,  on  coming  to  these  islands, 
is  the  exclusiveness  of  the  upper  class,  their  hauteur  and  pride,  and  the 
contempt  in  which  a  tradesman  is  held.  It  is  stated  that  a  gentleman 
will  be  on  very  good  terms  with  a  tradesman  in  his  sh.op,  but  will  not 
condescend  to  recognize  him  in  the  street,  while  at  balls  the  line  is  drawn 
with  painful  distinctness.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  said  that  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  "sixties"  and  the  "forties,"  as  the  two  classes  are  termed, 
is  wearing  away.  For  an  exclusiveness  so  much  more  pronounced  than 
usual  even  in  an  English  colony  there  was  doubtless  some  grouTid  oriiji- 
nally,  arising  from  local  causes,  which  is  now  forgotten. 

St.  Sanqison's  is  the  only  other  town  of  an}-  size  in  Guernsey  after  St. 
Peter's  Port.  It  is  named  after  some  mythical  Irish  saint  who  came  here 
in  the  sixth  centur}'.  The  place  is  about  two  miles  from  the  capital,  the 
road  being  by  the  sea,  skirted  with  houses  on  one  side  and  a  sea-wall  on 
tlie  other,  with  here  and  there  an  old  martello  tower  or  a  bit  of  an  ivied 
castle  to  relieve  the  view.     The  port  of  St.  Sampson's  is  a  good  one  of  its 


64 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


size.     I  eoiiiited  as  iiuuiy  as  sixteen  vessels  there,  loadiiii^  with  oTaiilto  for 
Eiii^Iand.     The  granite  trade  is  the  most  important  bnsiness  of  (iiiernsev. 


;     ! 


il     I 


:;  i 


HAUTEVIiLE,    VICTOR     lU'Oo'S    LATE    RESIDENCE    IN    CrEKNSEY. 

The  cliureli  of  St.  Sampson's  was  consecrated  in  1111.  It  is  the  oUlcst 
l)iiildiiig-  in  the  island,  hut  offers  no  architectural  attractions.  More  in- 
teresting are  the  Vale  Castle  adjoining  and  the  Druidic  remains.  Long 
before  Rollo  tlie  Norman  visited,  and  conquered  these  islands,  long  before; 
St.  Sampson  and  Julius  (^jiisar,  the  Celt  had  braved  these  perilous  waters 
in  his  rude  bark,  and  had  scaled  these  almost  inaccessible  shores.  Here, 
in  those  ages  lust  in  the  vairue  mists  of  unrecorded  anticiuitv,  the  Druid 
practised  his  mysterious  and  bloody  rites,  and  left  numerous  dolmens  and 
crondechs  to  tell  the  tale  of  a  race  that  would  otherwise  have  pass  ;d  awa}' 
from  these  isles  into  the  utter  silence  of  oblivion.  INFanv  of  these  remark- 
able  vestiges  have  unfortunately  been  destroyed ;  of  those  which  remain, 
one  of  the  most  interesting  is  at  L'Ancresse  (/onnnon,  near  St.  Sam})son's. 
It  is  covered  by  seven  blocks,  of  which  the  largest,  estimated  to  weigh 
thirty  tons,  is  17  feet  long  by  10  wide  and  -l^  feet  thick,  while  the  whole 
dolmen  is  45  feet  long  by  13  in  width.  Tnder  the  Hoor  were  found  one 
hundred  and  lifty  urns,  human  bones,  amulets,  and  the  like. 


TIIK    CIIANNKL    ISI,AN1)S. 


05 


St.  Sampson's  iiml  the  adjacrnt  portion  of  tlio  littln  island  aro  also  in- 
ti'i't'sting,  as  many  (»t"  the  scones  of  Victor  Hugo's  impossihie  "Toilers  of 
the  Sea"  are  laid  there.  There  is  no  foundation  for  the  stoi'v,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  hut  it  is  very  well  told,  and  gives  incidentally  vivid  and  often 
truthful  tleseriptions  of  the  scenery  and  people,  and  should  he  I'cad  hy 
(!very  one  contemplating  a  visit  t(»  the  islands.  Passing  through  the  old 
part  of  St.  I'eter's  I'ort,  hy  the  markets  (well  stocked  with  most  excellent 
tish,  heef  of  a  very  supoi-ior  (piality,  and  tine  vegetahles),  and  proceeding 
iu  the  rear  of  l'\)rt  (ieorge,  one  comes  to  llaute\  ille,  for  many  years  the 
residence  of  Vi(!tor  Hugo,  lie  is  now  in  Pai'is,  but  his  mansion  remains 
furnished  as  he  left  it,  in  a  numner  highly  characteristic  of  the  distin- 
guished author.  Keeping  on  in  a  southerly  direction,  one  comes  to  the 
south  side  of  the  island,  to  the  artist  or  scientilic  student  searching  for 
studies  in  geology  cr  crustaceology,  hy  far  the  most  intei-esting  part  of 
(iuernsey.  As  Guernsey  is  triangular  in  form,  and  only  nine  and  a  half 
miles  on  its  longest  side,  much  the  pleasantest  way  to  see  its  beauties  is  on 
foot.  The  southern  coast  is  iiulented  with  sevei'al  small  but  exceedingly 
beautiful  bays,  presenting  a  great  variety  of  granitic  forms,  often  almost 
volcanic  in  grotesipieness  of  shai)e,  the  cliffs  rising  sometimes  over  three 
hundred  feet,  often  perpendicularly,  from  the  silveiy  beaches  of  soft  white 


(ilAUU-lIOLSK     DESlillllKl)    IN    "  TOILKliS     IJI'    Tiu;    SKA 


sand  at  their  base.  Wild  caverns  are  hollowed  into  the  sides  of  the  cliffs, 
and  rivulets,  under  the  sylvan  covert  of  many  varieties  of  vines  and  shrubs, 
descend  from  the  plateau  above  to  these  bays.  Le  Moulin  Iluet  Bay,  Tcart 
Point,  Petit  Bot  Bay,  the  Gouffre,  Gull  Rock,  Pleinmont,  are  in  turn  the 

5 


60 


TiiK  atlamh;  islands. 


;  i 


I  I 


ill' 


favorites  of  tlio  ciitliusiast  who  visits  tlit'in  ;  Imt  the  stern, pi'ccipitoiis,  tluni- 
(ler-sciirred  Titiinie  elifts  of  I'UMiiinoiit  seemed  to  iiio  the  jijrandest  place 
for  a  sea-view  in  (Jiieiiisey,  and  one  of  tlie  finest  to  be  found  any^vlle^^^ 
Near  the  l)row  of  these  precipicres  Vietor  ]ln<jjo  hiys  the  seene  of  some  of 
tiie  most  strikini;  passaijvs  in  his  hook.  The  small  pjuard-honse,  which 
ho  represents  to  have  heen  haunted,  and  makes  the  rende;cvous  of  smu^'- 
glers,  stands  thei'O  still,  entirely  alone  on  the  cliff. 

In  i»lain  sight  from  Ciuernsey  in  i^ood  weather,  t\vo!ity  miles  from  land 
to  land,  in  an  east -south -east  direction,  lies  the  island  of  Jersey,  twelve 


THE    COItBIKItE     AND    LKillT-llOlSK,   JKIISKY. 


miles  lonu^  and  seven  wide,  in  ai'ea  nearly  twice  the  size  of  Guernsey.  St. 
Jlelier's,  the  chief  town,  contains  over  80,000  inhabitants,  and  is  situated 
on  the  bay  of  St.  Aubin,a  most  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  skirted  by  a  level 
sand  beach,  flanked  by  hii>;h  slopes  and  cliffs,  and  ornamented  on  the  op- 
posite side  by  the  charmin<^  little  town  of  St,  Anbin.  The  approach  to  St. 
Ilelier's  from  Guernsey  is  around  the  south-western  angle  of  the  island, 
bristling  with  reefs,  showing  their  teeth  to  the  mariner  in  a  most  threaten- 
ing  manner.  (Jf  these  the  most  formidable  is  the  Corbicire,  or  "  Sailoj's' 
Dread,"  the  haunt  of  innumei'able  corbleres,  or  sea-crows.  A  light-house 
has  recently  been  erected  on  the  highest  point,  but  it  is  a  most  formidable 


7 


TIIK   CIIANNKL    ISLANDS. 


07 


■I 


foo,  as  tlio  writer  ciui  testily  from  |km*soi)!i1  {»ltsi'rviiti<in,  liiiviiij;  jjasscd  it 
twioc,  in  a  liciivv  u;:ilo  of  wind  Croin  tlio  stditli-cast,  imicli  nearer  than  was 
a;j;reeal)le.  It  must  be  owned  that  few  8j)ots  priisent  a  liner  ()i)|)(»rtimily 
for  studyinij;  the  etf(H;t  of  a  ni^in<^  sea  on  a  rn<j;i;('d  slioro.  The  undertow 
meetini;  tlie  waves  formed  hy  th(!  wind,  and  a^ain  affected  i)y  the  diverge 
currents  and  tides,  whicli  h(,'re  rise  forty  feet,  ])roduee3  otf  the  Corbiere,  as 
oft  tlie  Caskets,  wavoH  of  extraordinary  h(;ii>ht,  j^randeur,  and  fury. 

Tlie  entrance  to  the  port  is  veiy  dangerous,  owing  to  tlie  reefs  tliat. 
skirt  the  channel  and  extisnd  miles  to  the  eastward.  The  hai'bor  is  almost 
entirely  artitictial.  On  the  left,  on  entering  the  mole,  is  a  high  nx^k  sur- 
mounted by  th(!  I'cmains  of  a  hermitage  nuuiy  centuries  old.  St.  Ilelier, 
Hilary,  or  Ililarius,  was  one  of  those  shadowy  Ii'ish  saints  whose  apoci'y- 
l>hal  adventui'es  serve  to  adorn  the  saints'  calendar  with  a  species  of  pious 
"Ai-abiau  Nights"  tales.  From  what  is  said  of  the  good  i>eoplo  of  St. 
Heliers,  one  might  infer  that  they  had  made  the  mi^take  of  spelling  his 
name  Hilarious,  and  suited  their  lives  to  the  name.  To  eschew  the  world, 
the  llesh,  and  the  devil  is  not  enough  the  (rustom  in  this  insular  I'aris. 
Just  northward  of  the  IJermitage,  on  a  I'ock  of  some  height,  stands  Eliza- 
beth Castle,  a  rather  picturescpie  pile,  of  which  a  portion  once  formed  an 
abbey.  The  town  is  not  very  ])leasing  near  the  port,  the  streets  being  nar- 
iMW  and  (hvk,  but  it  rambles  up  on  higher  ground,  and  gi'adnally  assunu:'S 
a  more  cheerful  and  inviting  aspect.  The  shop  windows  ofteri  make  a 
display  of  wares  (ptite  metropolitan.  The  miirkets  are  well  worth  a  visit, 
and  the  nuirket- women  sometimes  dress  in  a  costume  slightly  peculiar, 
the  only  noticeable  local  costume  in  the  islands.  Generally  the  people  of 
these  island"  dress  and  wear  their  hair  with  excellent  taste,  combining  the 
English  'jonnnon-sense  ideas  of  comfort  with  a  certain  French  gracefulness 
that  one  too  often  fails  to  see  in  England. 

Odd  as  it  nuiy  sound,  there  are  two  Lilliputian  railroads  in  Jersey, 
starting  from  St.  Heliers  —  one  ruiuiing  five  miles  to  Oorcy,  called  th(? 
Eastern  IJailway,  limited  ;  the  other  also  extending  about  five  miles,  to  St. 
Aubin.  The  latter  cost  a  large  anu)unt,  and  swam])ed  two  or  three  local 
l)anks,  producing  much  business  prostration,  aiul  still  further  reducing  tlu; 
value  of  local  currency.  Thov  seem  to  have  been  borrowing  lessons  from 
the  United  States  in  this  island  :  paper  money  is  issued  in  the  most  reck- 
less maimer,  and  much  enterprise,  in  the  form  of  hollow  bubbles  of  specu- 
lation, has  enriched  a  few  and  impov.^rishcd  many ;  but  the  law,  mindful 
of  tilt  claims  of  the  suffei-ers  ami  what  it  owes  to  the  defense  of  society, 
has  made  an  example  of  some  of  the  leading  offenders,  from  which  we,  in 
turn,  can  take  a  lesson  from  the  island  of  Jersey.     Considerable  shipping 


^5?- 


im 


6S  TlIK   ATLANIiT    ISLANDS. 

is  owned  at  St.  IIcllci'V,  cini)loyo(l  in  foreign  connnerce  or  in  the  cod-fish- 


11 


CM'ies. 


After  St.  Ileliei-'s,  or  rather  before  it  in  interest  aniono-  the  objeets  to 
attract  the  visitor  to  -lersoy,  is  ^Fouiit   (.)i'gneil   Castle,  at  tlie   vilhige  of 


MOUNT    OBGUEIL    CASTLE,  JEEISEY. 


Gorey,  on  the  eastern  coast.  It  is  now  disniantled,  and  occnpied  only  by 
a  warder,  but  this  makes  it  all  the  more  attractive.  Perched  on  a  rock 
washed  by  the  waves,  the  highest  parapet  of  the  venerable  j>ile  is  27<)  feet 
above  the  sea.  Built  of  stone  the  same  as  the  rocks  on  which  it  is 
founded,  it  looks  in  many  ])arts  almost  like  a  portion  of  the  cliff.  Setting 
aside  the  legends  about  Julius  Ca3sar,  who  is  made  responsible  for  the  par- 
entage of  half  the  castles  in  Europe,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Mount  Orgueil 
was  occupied,  if  not  built,  by  Kollo,  the  grandsire  of  William  the  Con- 
queror, whose  escutcheon  is  still  quite  distinct  over  the  main  entrance  to 
the  keep.  The  crypt  under  the  chapel,  with  a  marble  statue  of  the  Vir- 
gin and  Child,  is  in  good  preservation ;  also  the  apartments  occupied  by 
Charles  II.  while  seeking  an  asylum  in  this  island,  which  remained  faith- 
ful to  the  house  of  Stuart.  These  apartments  have  unfortunately  been 
modernized  recently  for  barracks,  although  mitenanted  at  present.  The 
guard-room  where  military  courts  were  held  is  gone,  but  the  adjoining  cell 
where  criminals  were  executed  remains,  with  vestiges  of  a  secret  staircase 
M-hich  communicated  with  the  keep  and  the  sally-port.  The  dungeon  is  a 
ghastl}'  place,  but  the  most  interesting  spot  in  the  castle  is  the  da*  k,  dismal 
cell,  some  six  feet  by  four,  M-ith  but  a  snuill  loop-hole  over  the  sea,  where 
Prynne,  tnc  Puritan,  was  coniined  for  three  years.  lie  had  ample  time  to 
compose  jjoetry  or  i)hiloso[)hics  in  these  close  quarters,  although  the  scene 
was  not  altogether  congenial  to  trancpiil  meditation.  That  rheumatism, 
megrims,  and  misanthropy  did  not  quite  corrode  his  bones  or  his  intellect 


"^. 


r^ 


TIIK   CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


09 


ir- 

»y 

1- 
'11 
ic 


is  evident  from  tlie  fa(;t  that  he  tried  to  write  verse,  as  shown  by  the  fol- 
luwini;'  doggerel  lines,  besides  certain  moral  essays  : 

"Mount  Oigiieil  Ciistle  is  a  lofiy  iiile, 
Within  the  easteiii  part  of  Joiscy  Isle, 
Seated  iijOTn  a  rock  full  large  and  high, 
Close  hy  tiie  soa-shoiv,  next  to  Norinandie, 
N'eaf  to  a  sandy  hay,  whcie  l)oats  do  tide 
Within  a  jjceie,  safe  from  hoth  wind  and  tide,"  etc. 

From  the  battlements  rusty  chains  still  hang,  by  which  crimiiuils  in  those 
ronirh  aires  were  susijcnded  alive. 

The  view  from  the  top  commands  the  coast  of  Normandy  and  lirit- 
tany,  including  the  Cathedral  of  Coutances  on  clear  days,  and,  besides  a 
prospect  of  the  landscape  of  Jersey,  gives  one  an  idea  of  the  dangers 
which  beset  the  mariner  in  these  Avaters.  Scylla  and  Charybdis  wer<i 
verv  tritlino:  affairs  compared  with  the  chevaux-de-frise  of  rocks  u.nder  and 
above  water  which  encircle  these  islands.  If  the  sailor  escapes  the  Cas- 
kets, tlio  labyrinthine  snares  of  the  Little  Russel  are  ready  to  trip  him  ; 


or.  if  sailing  for  Jersey  or  St.  Malo,  the  St.  Roquier  or  the  Ilanways  lie 
in  wait  foi  him,  or  the  Paternosters,  so  terrible  that  tliey  a"'i  thus  called. 


i® 


1       I; 


lO 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


jicrliaps,  because  there  is  nothing  left  to  him  who  encounters  their  sava2;e 
blows  but  to  say  his  prayers.     Esca[)ing  these,  he  still  has  the  Co.bici'e  or 


I     ■    i 


ST.    IlKKI.ADli  .S    ClllUril,   JEliSKV. 


r.a  Couchicire  to  avoid,  and  is  not  yet  past  dangers,  for  by  no  means  the 
least  savage  yet  lie  near  his  path — the  Clumsseys,  and  the  terrible  ]\Iin- 
([uiores,  fronting  the  coast  of  France  many  miles,  like  a  jiicket-gnard  ;  and 
the  most  awful  and  solitary  of  all,  the  Douvres,  like  an  advanced  post  in 
the  ocean,  solemn  and  implacable.  The  coast  of  Jei'sey  is  also  every- 
where dangerous  of  approac^h,  and  rises  in  some  places  over  three  hun- 
dred feet  on  the  northern  side.  Many  \vr\  bold,  striking  cliffs  are  to  bo 
seen  there,  many  rocks  of  remarkable  form  and  size.  The  Jersey  granite 
is  considerably  warmer  in  color  than  that  of  Guernsey,  which  renders  its 
cliffs  slightly  less  stern,  and  moi'c  in  harmony  with  the  vivid  green  of  the 
surges  that  lash  their  feet  and  till  their  vast  caverns  with  the  di'oad  thun- 
ders of  the  storm.  Boulet  I'ay,  Greve  do  Lecq,  Greve  au  l.an(;on,  Cape 
(Jrosnez,  the  Pinnacle,  or  La  Pide,  at  L'Ktac,  are  a  few  of  the  many  ])oints 
deserving  the  investigation  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  tourist,  the  natu- 
ralist, and  the  artist.  St.  Ihelade's  Church  is  the  oldest  building  in  .ler- 
sey,  and  is  still  well  preserved,  and  qtiite  picturesque. 


ill 


THE  CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 


'1 


The  intci'ior  of  tho  island  is  .altoijotliei-  beliod  hv  its  coast  sc'eiiorv,  for 
it  is  highly  rustic  and  idyllic,  intersected  evei-ywhere  by  winding  lanes 
almost  concealed  by  hedges,  and  banks  abounding  in  ferns,  mosses,  and 
thick-embowering  vines  and  shrubs.  So  very  winding  and  intricate,  in 
fact,  are  the  rural  lanes  of  Jersey  that  a  cause  is  assigned  for  it :  the; 
island  was  in  early  ages  infested  by  pirates,  who  carried  off  the  people  as 
well  as  their  goods  to  that  degree  that,  in  order  to  mislead  the  freeljooters 
and  make  it  easier  to  cut  them  off  before  tlioy  could  reach  the  sea,  the 
paths  were  twisted  into  a  species  of  labyrinth.  These  lanes  are,  how- 
ever, gradually  being  replacted  by  more  direct  roads,  and  many  of  the  old 
avemies  of  trees  are  falling  before  the  axe  of  imiu-ovement  or  necessity. 

Twenty  miles  in  a  north-easterly  direction  from  Guernsey  lies  Alder- 
ney,  (tailed  by  the  Normans  Aurigny,  in  most  respects  the  least  interesting 
of  the  group,  although  the  abruptness  with  which  its  elevated  table-land 
plunges  into  the  ocean  presents  some  very  striking  scenes.  But  the  table- 
land itself  is  generally  flat  and  bare,  and  the  town  of  St.  Anne's  offers 
few  points  of  interest.  The  island  is  but  three  miles  and  a  half  long.  It 
claims  our  attention,  liowevei",  on  two  accounts.  On  its  north-westei'ii  side 
is  Braye  Harbor,  celebrated  for  the  breakwater  or  nutle  which  the  English 
Government  has  been  building  for  many  years  at  an  enormous  expense  as 
a  naval  station  and  harbor  of  refuge,  to  offset  the  C()rres[)oudiug  port  of 
(Jlierboui'g  in  Normandy,  and  enable  the  Euii'lish  to  command  the  Chan- 


4*  ■&«.-.  ;■%:  =:<r=^i^j£B?35^3r^-«*-:^====:i 


ncl.      This  breakwater  has,  very  strangely,  been   constructed   in   a  most 
blimdering  maimer,  at  least  in  its  form,  so  that  it  presents  itself  to  the  sea 


72 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


I 


ill  siuili  a  way  that  it  oftrii  suffers  seridus  (lama<;o,  aiul  will  eventiiallv 
liave  to  1)0  altered.  Aldenicy  is  also  known  for  the  breed  of  cows  whieli 
bears  its  name.     These  are  so  called  probably  because  the  first  ones  ex- 


) 


,1   '' 


i 


<'»EIX     llAKUOli,   SAUK. 


ported  were  from  that  island,  altlK»ui;h  ikiw  very  few  that  are  sold  as 
Aldernev  cows  are  directlv  from  there.  Those  of  that  breed  actuallv  ex- 
])ortcd  from  tjiese  islands  are  <:!;eiierally  from  Jersey,  Avliere  tlio  cattle  are 
nincli  the  sanre  as  those  of  Alderney,  small,  with  tai)eriii<jf  heads,  and  of  a 
delicate  fawn-color.  The  Guernsey  cow  is  esteemed  by  some  even  more 
hiifhly  than  the  Alderney;  it  is  rather  lary-er,  and  more  of  a  red,  brindled, 
in  cok)r.  The  cows  are  milked  three  times  daily,  and  the  milk  is  churned 
without  skiniminf^;.  One  pound  of  butter  a  diiy  is  by  no  means  an  uncom- 
mon vield  for  a  ixood  cow.  The  (tow  cabbaue  is  made  to  reach  a  size  so 
lar<:;e  that  the  leaves  are  used  to  wrap  the  butter  in  for  market,  while  the 
stalks  are  varnished  and  armed  with  ferrules,  and  extensively  used  at  St. 
Jlelier's  for  canes.  The  cows  are  very  carefully  coddled.  The  grass  they 
feed  on  is  highly  enriched  by  the  vraic,  a  species  of  sea-weed  gathered 
from  the  reefs  at  low  tide.  There  are  two  vraic  liarvests  appointed  by 
the  Government — one  in  the  spring,  the  other  in  August,  although  it  is 
gathered  at  other  times  in  small  quantities.  All  hands  turn  out  in  the 
season  with  boats  and  carts,  frecpiently  at  night,  and  it  is  a  very  lively, 
picturesque  occupation,  though  often  attended  with  risk  and  loss  of  lif(i 
from  the  overloading  of  boats  or  sudden  rising  of  the  tide.     The  cows  are 


la 


'^ 


TIIK   CHANNEL  ISLANDS. 


73 


always  tetlicrod  wIicmi  feediiiii; :  tlu'v  cat  less  in  this  M-ay,  really  givint;: 
luoro  milk  than  if  g-lutted  with  t'oud  ;  and  while  they  are  cro[)[)in^  the 
<j,rasd  on  one  side  of  a  Held,  it  has  time  to  s[)rin^  up  on  the  other  side. 
Wlien  they  have  done  eating,  they  are  at  onee  removed  from  the  snn  into 
the  shade.  The  hreeu  is  preserved  from  intermixture  with  other  breeds 
hv  stronij::  and  arbitrary  laws  vcrv  carefully  enforced.  No  cattle  are  al- 
lowed  to  enter  the  islands  except  for  hlaii<;'hter  within  a  certain  number 
of  days,  witii  the  exception  of  oxen  for  draught. 

Opposite  the  eastern  coast  of  Guernsey  are  the  islands  Tlerm  and 
Jethou,  about  three  miles  distant  from  St.  Peter's  Port.  Tiie  former  is 
a  mile  and  a  half  lonn\  hiiijh,  and  in  some  places  very  bold,  and  possesses 
withal  a  sand  beach  aboundinij  to  a  vcrv  unusual  deii-rec  with  shells  of 
ii'reat  variety  and  l)eauty.  It  is  chietly  valuable,  however,  at  present  as  a 
resort  for  sportsmen.  Two  or  three  houses  are  on  the  island,  including  a 
h(»tel,niuch  resorted  to  in  summer.     Jethou  is  close  at  hand,  but  is  muc]i 


tMUANCK    TO    THE    CKKL'X    LANUINU-FLACE,  SAUK. 


smaller,  and  tenanted  chietly  by  rabbits.  Peyond  these  islands,  a  little 
more  to  the  southward,  and  oidy  seven  miles  from  Guernsey,  is  Sark.  one 
of  the  smallest,  most  curious,  most  interesting,  most  elusive,  most   deso- 


fm 


\  -1 


74 


THE   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


liito.  most  l)cantifiil,  most  daiirjerons,  most  snbliinc,  of  tlio  Atlantic  islands. 
The  old  k'gend-niukei's,  who  Iiavo  sung  sncli  weird  tides  cd'  pliuntom  isl- 


.   I. 


•A 


M 


« 


Till:     ALIEI.ETS,   SAUK. 


ands,  now  appearing-  close  at  hand,  then  vanishing  like  enchantment.  niu>t 
have  drawn  their  inspiration  from  watchijig  8ark  from  (inei'nsoy.  On 
some  days  it  is  so  distinct,  and  looks  so  near,  that  cliffs  and  houses  and 
even  men  can  he  distingnished  with  the  naked  eye,  and  the  soft  play  of 
liii'ht  and  shade  and  color  on  the  rocks.  Tiic  next  dav  one  shall  loi)k  in 
the  sanie  direction,  and  ho  will  discrern  with  difticnlty  the  faint  hazy  out- 
line of  Avhat  seems  an  island  forty  miles  away.  The  approach  to  the 
island  is  almost  always  ha>:ardous,  and  except  in  tlie  hest  weather  no  boat 
can  land  or  leave,  owing  to  the  maelstrom-like  velocity  and  turhnlence  of 
the  tides,  which  rush  raging  in  all  directions  around  the  shore,  and  till  the 
hollow  caves  with  melancholy  dirges,  as  for  the  many  wi'ccked  on  that 
merciless  coast.  The  late  Seigneur  of  Sark  was  lost  off  Point  Nez,  jind 
the  ])resent  Scigneni-  and  his  fannly  have  had  an  escape  bordei'ing  on 
the  ndi'ficulous.  Sometimes,  e\  en  in  sunnner,  weeks  will  pass  without  the 
possihility  of  connnnnicating  with  the  island.  In  winter  one  nnist  depend 
entirely  on  Sark  boats  of  seven  or  eight  tons  burden,  strong  and  weath- 
erly.  Tn  snmmcr  a  small  steamer  plies  in  good  weather  Itetween  (inei'n- 
sey  and  Sark;  but  it  cannot  enter  the  jiort,  which  is  dctubtless  the  smallest 
in  Europe.     It  is  formed  by  a  breakwater  thrown  across  a  miniatnre  bay 


TllK   ClIANNHL    ISLANDS. 


TO 


culled  the  Ci'oux.  A  little  heach  extends  aroinid  the  base  of  tlic  vertical 
cHtTs,  and  the  interior  of  the  island  is  oidv  reached  hv  an  artiticial  open- 
inn'  actually  ])ierced  through  the  surroundini^  wall  of  granite?. 

Sark  is  about  three  miles  and  a  half  long,  and  is  divided  into  Great 
and  Little  Sark,  the  latter  being  a  small  peninsula  at  the  southern  end, 
united  to  the  main  poi'tion  by  a  cui'tain  of  rock  some  two  hundred  yards 
long,  called  the  Coupe.  It  is  three  himdred  feet  above  the  sea,  on  one 
side  literally  verticral,  on  the  other  nearly  so.  The  path  at  the  top  is  nqt 
over  five  feet  wide.  It  is  said  one  person  who  lived  on  Little  Sark  never 
(hired  during  a  lifcitime  to  cross  over  the  Coupe.  Another  old  fellow,  who 
used  to  like  to  take  his  grog  of  an  evening  in  Cireat  Sark,  would,  on  re- 
turning to  Little  Sark  at  night,  walk  several  times  over  a  log  that  lay  near 
the  Coupe.  If  the  result  was  satisfactory  to  his  e(pnlibrium,  he  would 
then  venture  to  reel  across  the  Coupe.  The  cliffs  surrouiuling  the  island 
furnish  an  inexhnustii)le  su])ply  of  the  gi'and,  the  wild,  the  picturesipu'. 
The  rocks  are  clothed  with  highly  colored  vines  and  lichens;  the  nuigniii- 


»^:-'v      ^,.^_  S;  V 

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fi  mms^ 

ClIKUX     VV    UEIimULK,    S.VUK. 


cent  caves,  seemingly  the  abode  of  sea-fairies,  teem  with  varied  and  beau- 
tiful submarine  vegetation  and  diverse  forms  of  life,  shell-tish,  mollusca, 


70 


TllH   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS, 


al^iv,  and  tlio  like.     Our  limits  forbid  more  thiui  allusion  to  siieh  spots 
us  the  Autelots,  the  Crciix  dii  Derrible,  or  IVIxeart  JJny. 

The  interior  of  the  island  is  devoted  to  agriculture  and  pasturaije,  and. 


! 


NATUHAL    BKIDGE,   PONT-OU-MUL'LIN,   SAUK. 

altlion2:h  not  generally  wooded,  and  destitute  of  streams,  presents  nian_\ 
choice  bits  of  rural  underwood.  The  avenue  leading  to  the  Seigneurie  is 
exceedingly  beautiful,  and  the  building  itself  is  a  very  pleasing  object. 
The  huts  of  the  peasantry  are  often  of  the  most  massive  construction, 
having  walls  six  feet  thick. 

Those  who  suppose  Monaco,  or  Andorra,  or  San  Marino  to  be  the 
smallest  state  in  Euroi)e  must  awake  from  their  delusion.  Sark  has,  by 
the  hist  census,  only  540  inhabitants,  and  is  practically  an  independent 
state, owing  only  a  feudal  allegiance  to  Great  Britain  by  way  of  Guernsey. 
Traces  of  the  Druids  exist,  showing  their  eai'ly  occupation  of  the  island. 
In  the  Dark  Ages  it  was  the  haunt  of  pirates,  who  from  this  almost  inac- 
cessible eyry  swooped  down  on  shijis  passing  the  Channel.  After  they 
Avcre  exterminated,  the  French  held  Sark  some  time ;  but  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth  it  Avas  taken  by  a  very  ingenious  stratagem,  of  which  only  a 
brief  recital  can  be  given  here.     It  seems  a  galley  anchored  off  the  island 


TllH   CIIANNKL    ISLANDS. 


77 


uiuler  pretense  of  beini*'  a  trader  whoso  captain  Iiad  died  on  the  vova|Lje. 
To  (;onsiu;ii  a  Christian  man  to  the  deep  seemed  a  ii,i'atnitous  sin,  wlicn 
Sai'k  was  so  near  at  liand,  Wonld  tlie  ijariison  allow  his  comrades  to 
land  the  coflin  and  hiiry  him  in  consecrated  i^roimd  ?  They  would  i,^) 
ashore  unarmed,  and  would  allow  themselves  to  be  searched  (»n  landini;'. 
This  request  was  jj^ranted  after  due  deliberation.  The  cotlin  was  landed, 
and  in  solenm  procession  borne  into  the  church.  The  door  was  then 
closed  suddenly,  and  before  the  French  could  discover  the  object  of  this 
manaiuvre,  the  cotVin,  which  was  tilled  with  arms,  was  broken  open,  and, 
arming  themselves,  the  sailors  rushed  out  and  cut  down  the  Fi-ench  riiyht 
and  left.  In  their  ])anic  some  threw  themselves  from  the  cliffs,  the  rest 
surrendered.     Since  that  time  Sark  has  continued  under  the  English  tla<^. 

The  Seiij;neur  is  feudal  lord  of  the  island,  and  shares  the  ii;overnnient 
with  the  other  landholders,  about  forty  in  all.  The  worthy  pastor,  Mv. 
Canchmeyer,  a  Swiss,  has  not  been  off  the  island  for  thirty-seven  years. 

I  can  heartily  and  truthfully  recommend  the  invalid  and  pleasure- 
seeker  to  give  these  islands  a  trial — with  a  bit  of  advice  on  a  point  not 
always  regarded  by  persons  culpably  foolhardy  or  totally  ignorant  of 
boat-sailing,  especially  in  these  very  dangerous  waters  :  never  set  out  in 
a  boat  here,  or  undertake  to  a'o  to  Sark  or  any  of  the  islands,  if  the  boat- 
men  are  reluctant  to  try  it,  or  if  you  are  advised  l)y  the  natives  to  wait 
t'(»r  a  clian<fe  of  weather. 


SEIUNEUK'S    HOUSE,   SABS. 


'^T 


78 


TIIK   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


(IIAPTKU    IV. 


TIIK    MACDALKN    ISLANDS. 

MY  attention  was  first  callud  to  the  ^Ia<;(liilen  Isliuids,  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence,  wlien  1  sailed  in  the  Anna  j\[<ii'ia  lishiiii;  seliooner. 
The  ski})j)er  had  often  cruised  in  their  neighhoihood,  and  stroii<:;ly  advised 
me  to  visit  them.  Aecordini;ly,  I  pactked  my  kit  and  started  in  search  of 
this  terra  incognild,  in  September — two  months  too  late  to  see  tliem  if 
one  consults  liis  personal  comfort,  althoiii;h  I'ealiy  the  be:«t  season  if  the 
tourist  wishes  to  gain  a  clear  notion  of  the  savai:;e  character  of  the  islands, 
and  the  waters  which  encii'cle  them,  and  of  the  isolated  life  which  the 
islanders  lead.  1  went  by  way  of  I'rincc  Edward  Islaml,  and  found  it 
no  lani;:;hing-matter  eitlier  to  reach  or  leave  these  dimes  of  sand,  even  so 
early  in  the  autumn,  although  they  are  but  iifty-six  miles  due  iu)rth  from 
Eastern  Point,  Prince  Edward  Island  (the  distance  from  Souris,  where  the 
boat  touches,  to  Havre  Aubert,  Amherst  Island,  being  but  eighty  miles). 
Twice  a  month,  until  navigation  closes,  the  steamer  Albert  I'uns  from 
Pictou  to  the  Magdalens,  touching  at  Souris  to  take  the  mails  when  tlu; 
weather  allows  her  to  enter  the  exposed  port  of  Soinis.  l>ut  her  mov(!- 
ments  are  very  uncertain,  and  the  slee[)less  vigilance  which  is  said  to  be 
the  price  of  liberty  is  ti'iHing  compared  with  the  watchfulness  required  on 
the  part  of  the  voyager  who  has  made  up  his  mind  to  reach  the  Magdalen 
Islands,  and  to  reach  them  by  the  steamer  Albert  from  Souris.  No  one 
(!ould  tell  me  the  exact  day  or  hour  she  was  to  be  looked  for,  and  a  gale 
of  wind  about  the  time  we  might  begin  to  expect  her  seemed  to  render 
it  very  uncertain  whether  she  would  touch  at  Souris  at  all ;  but  the  post- 
master promised  to  give  me  prompt  information  when  they  came  for  the 
mail-bag.  At  nine  in  the  evening,  the  wind  having  moderated,  the  whistle 
of  the  steamer  was  heard  shrieking  in  the  port.  I  ran  to  the  hotel  for  my 
carpet-bag,  but  the  postmaster  had,  of  course,  forgotten  to  send  me  Avoi'd 
according  to  promise,  and  every  one.  at  the  hotel  had  gone  to  an  itinerant 
show.  With  the  bag  on  my  shoulder,  I  ran  a  mile,  and  was  able  to  clam- 
bei'  over  the  side  of  tlie  steamer  just  as  she  was  shoving  off  from  the 


TIIK   MACDALKN    ISLANDS. 


79 


liit'iikwiitt'i'.  A  ^li^■Ilt  (U'tciitioii  (tf  five  iiiiiiiitcs,  owiiiijf  to  a  loose  screw 
ill  the  engine,  was  all  that  eiial)led  nie  to  eateh  the  hoat.  The  Albert 
proved  to  be,  without  exception,  the  most  clumsy  and  danu'erous  craft  I 
ever  stepped  loot  on,  considering  the  perilous  nature  of  the  waters  she  nav- 
iirates.  The  weather  was  line  and  the  wind  fair,  so  we  managed  to  aver- 
age nearly  six  knots,  which  took  us  in  sigiit  of  the  islands  at  sunrise.  Jt 
was  a  clear,  cheerful  day  after  the  storm.  Nearly  a  liundrcd  sail  of  our 
(iloucester  fishermen  dotted  the  hori/.on,  and  the  crests  of  Andierst,  Al- 
riirht  in  the  extreme  distance,  and  Kntrv  directlv  ahead  and  near  at  hand, 
were  exccfedingly  beautiful,  wai'med  by  the  morning  sun,  which  me!lowe(l 
their  various  vivid  tints  into  })early  grays. 

It  may  be  said  here  that  the   name  n(jw  given  to   th.e  wlude  group 
originally  belonged  to  the  long  nari'ow  island  which  comprises  the  more 


'X  - 


SAND     DINKS    AND    WIlEf'KS     HKTWKKN    AMIIKUST    AND    (IIIINDSTCINI:     ISLANDS. 

or  less  lofty  divisions  termed  respectively  Andierst,  (xrindstone,  Alright. 
Wolf,  (\)f]in,  and  Cirosse  Isle — islands  which  arc  all  more  or  less  connected 
by  a  double  row  of  sand  dunes  enclosing  lake-like  lagoons,  but  divid(.'d 
in  sonic  places  by  sea-openings  forda!)lc  at  low  Avater,  and  at  Basque  Har- 
bor, Havre  aux  Maisons,  and  Grand  Entry  Harbor  deep  enough  to  admit 
of  the  entrance  of  small  vessels.  Around  the  ]\ragdaleii  Islands,  never 
more  than  a  few  miles  distant,  are  DeadmaiTs  Island,  the  IMrd  Rocks,  Biron 
Island,  Shag  Itock,  and  Entry  Island,  which  are  now  all  comprised  under 
the  same  name.  The  Magdalen  Islands  jnir  excellence  trend  thirty-eight 
miles  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  from  Amherst  to  CofHn  Island.  A  long 
«|)it,  called  Sandy  Hook,  and  partially  under  water,  extends  due  e:ist  from 
Amherst  toward  Entry,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  narrow  and  dan- 


^ 


,:'i! 


m 


']'\ 


.1.;' 


80 


TIIK   ATI, ANTIC    I•^I,A^■I)S. 


'■-■Tr/'- 


''■"'jfr\    ^ 


.V<.Hj/l 


/MAGDALE 

I  /  /  /  /,'    ui-iiiii-;;; 

JJtaaiiMtii  Ixf 


„  ,  LANDS  /,  , 


p. 


mTous  cliiuincl.  ric'iisaiit  IJiiv  is  tlic;  l)ii>lit  fonnetl  hv  Siiiidv  II(»i)l<  round 
Ity  l!!is(|iio  Jliirlxtr  to  (Trindstoiiu  Isluml,  uud  is  a  coniinodioiis  uiul  siitt; 
roudstoad  in  all  l)iit  easterly  -winds,  when  vessels  must  cut  and  run  for 
the  other  side  of  tlu;  island,  (»r  make  a  «hish  for  Havre  Aubert  if  taken 
too  suddeidy.      In  tliu  tcrrilie  i;ale  of  August,  \'6T<\^  our  tishini;  tleet  was 

lyini;  for  refui^e  in  Pleas- 
ant IJav,  when  the  wind 
shifted  BO  rapidly  and 
violently  into  the  east- 
ward that  thirty -three 
schooners  were  driven 
on  shore  in  an  hour, 
})iled  to<;ether  on  the  top 
of  each  other.  The  skel- 
etons of  some  of  these 
hapless  vessels  still  bleach 
on  the  beach  at  Andierst. 
Iloundiiiii;  the  grand, 
gayly  colored  sea-cliffs  of 
Entry  Island,  the  Albert 
steamed  u])  to  an  anchor- 
ajic  at  Andiei'st,  at  the 
bottom  of  Pleasant  Bay, 
and  a  boat  carried  the 
mails  and  one  solitary 
■jiassenger  ashore  through  the  surf.  The  curious  little  town  of  Amherst 
lies  there,  composed  of  perhaps  fifty  houses  straggling  up  the  flanks  of  the 
Demoiselle,  a  eom'cal  hill,wlii(th  on  the  sea  side  falls  vertically  nearly  two 
hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The  business  portion  of  the  metro[)olis  of  the 
Magdalens  clusters  farther  down,  where  storediouses  and  iish  stages  for 
the  drying  of  cod  are  huddled  together  on  a  sandbar  scarce  a  hundred 
])aces  across,  which  connects  Mount  Gridlcv  with  the  Demoiselle  Hill. 
On  the  north  side  of  this  bar  is  Pleasant  Pay;  on  the  south  side  is  Havre 
Aubert,  twisted  bv  our  fishermen  into  Harbor  lo  Bear.  It  is  a  small  but 
])erfectly  safe  port,  the  best  in  the  IMagdalens,  it  is  said ;  but  the  entrance 
channel  is  very  narrow  and  shifting,  and  accessible  only  to  vessels  draw- 
ing not  over  twelve  feet  of  water.  On  the  flats  in  the  centre  of  the  har- 
bor lies  an  old  hulk  rotting  in  the  storms  which  howl  around  that  devoted 
coast  so  nnich  of  the  year — a  characteristic  object,  looking  as  if  planted 
there  purposely  to  indicate  the  character  of  those  desolate  isles. 


TIIK   MAGDALKN   ISLANDS. 


81 


Tho  pas'^ciii'jcr  aforesaid  found  hcttcr  l()di;iii<ji;  than  ho  iiad  reason  to 
expect,  at  Mrs.  Shea's  littk;  boanlinij;- honse.  Tlie  varii^ty  in  the  larder 
was  limited  ;  but  thi!  e^'i^s  were  fresh,  tho  milk  rich,  and  the  ti-a  !;;ood,  and 
the  total  cost  of  board  and  lod::;ini^  not  over  seventy  live  cents  per  diem. 
Andier.st  town  may  be  said  to  be  tho  peat  of  the  (Toverniuent.  Mr.  Fox, 
tho  rovenno  collector  and  superintendent  of  wrecks,  resides  there,  and  also 
Mr.  Painchand,  tho  United  States  consular  agent,  who  is  very  polite  to  our 
(Miimtrymen,  and  Mr.  Fontana,  tho  most  important  individual  in  the  isl- 
ands, tho  agent  of  Admiral  C.'ofHu,  tluj  proprietor,  who  holds  tluun  subject 
to  tho  jurisdiction  of  tho  Dominion.  In  reward  for  his  public  services, 
(Jai)tain  Isaac  CotHn,  uncdo  of  the  j)resent  owner,  received  a  grant  of  those 
islands  from  tho  Ihitish  crown  in  170S.  They  were  iirst  discovered  by 
dacques  Cai'tier,  and  were  colonized  by  French,  chiefly  Acadians,  who 
sought  refuge  here  when  e\[)elled  from  Acadie.  They  have  received 
a(;cessions  from  Canada,  St.  Pierre,  Jersey,  and  England,  and  now  number 
about  five  thousand,  nearly  all  of  French  descent,  and  speaking  and  re- 
taining the  language,  customs,  and  religion  of  the  parent  country.  They 
occujjy  the  land  generally  by  leasehold,  under  various  conditions,  and  the 
rents  are  devoted  by  tho  proprietor  to  the  laying-out  of  roads  and  other 
public  improvements.  But  great  dissatisfaction  has  grown  out  of  the 
existing  tenure  of  lands.  It  is  alleged  that  the  prosperity  of  the  islands 
is  hindered  by  the  present  arrangement,  and  strong  efforts  are  now  made 
to  bring  about  the  transfer  of  the  islands  to  the  Donn'nion.  The  admiral 
asks  eighteen  thousand  pounds,  which  would  not  seem  excessive,  consid- 
ering that  tho  area  of  tho  JMagdalens  is  seventy-eight  thoiisaud  acres,  of 
which  fidly  one-third  is  arable,  and  another  tiiird  not  wholly  useless,  while 
tho  fisheries  add  greatly  to  their  value. 


AMllEKST,   LOOKING    TOWARD    DEU0I8ELLE     HILL. 

6 


82 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


ii    a 


\ 


III! 


<».| 


11     Jfi 


Tlio  lions  of  Havre  Aiil)ert  were  soon  visited,  includin<r  the  Eiiirlisli 
cliaitel  on  Mount  Gridley,  tlie  new  Ilonian  Catholic  church  on  the  Denioi- 


LANDING    ON    ENTKY     ISLAND. 


fielle  Hill,  and  the  jail  and  post-office,  which  are  within  the  same  enclosure, 
and  under  the  charge  of  one  superintendent,  avIiosc  official  duties  are  not 
exhausting.  There  is  a  mail  but  twice  a  month,  and  for  live  months  there 
is  no  mail  at  all,  for  the  shore  ice  forms  around  the  islands  while  th,e 
Strait  of  Northumberland  is  closed,  and  navigation  ceases  in  the  Gulf 
from  December  to  April  inclusive. 

It  was  important  to  visit  Entry  Island,  and  to  seize  the  first  good 
iv^ather,  as  the  passage  of  m'ne  miles  in  a  small  boat  may  prove  very  diffi- 
cult in  case  of  a  sudden  change  of  weather,  always  liable  to  lun)pen  after 
the  1st  of  September;  and,  in  fact,  at  all  seasons  the  sea  rises  in  the  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence  with  great  rajiidity,  always  rugged  and  tumultuous,  with 
vast  combers  that  break,  owing  to  the  tides  and  currents  and  the  shoalness 
of  the  water  and  the  undertow,  all  aiding  to  render  navigation  the.e  ex- 
cessively hazardous,  combined  with  the  frequent  fogs. 

Some  men  had  come  from  Entry  Island  to  attend  tl  o  sale  of  wrecked 
goods  at  Havre  Aubert,  and  I  was  able  to  return  with  them.  Wo  sailed 
in  the  broad  VMit  of  the  full  moon,  skirting  Sandv  Hook.  A  numbei' 
of  the  islanders  with  their  dogs  came  down  to  help  nr  beach  the  boat 
and  land  the  cargo  on  a  long  low  sand  spit  on  the  n-'-thern  side  of  En- 
try; and  the  scene  by  moonlight  was  very  pictures(pie,  and  seemed  more 
AS  i       '   the  shore  of  some  tropical   isle  surrounded   bj    sunnuer  seas 


THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


S3 


iuul  balmy  breezes  than  in  the  ahnost  hyperb^  rean  regions  of  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

Mr.  James  Cassidy,  the  keeper  of  the  light-hoiise,  cordially  invited  me 
to  lod2;e  with  iiim.  A  loni>;  mile  over  a  rolliniij  moorland,  with  shadowy 
hills  on  our  left  and  the  moonlit  sea  and  red  star  of  the  light-house  be- 
fore us,  led  through  the  frosty  air  to  a  warm  fii'e  in  Mrs.  Cassidy's  com- 
fortable kitchen,  where  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  of  the  capital  island  mntton 
added  very  materially  to  our  well-beiug.  ''  Look  well  to  the  conunissa- 
riat,"  is  ever  the  motto  of  your  experienced  traveller. 

Entry  Island  is  peiitag(jnal  in  form,  only  two  miles  long  in  its  greatest 
lengtli,  and  for  its  size  offers  a  greater  variety  of  scenery  and  attractions 
probably  than  any  other  island  of  the  Atlantic.  The  western  half  of  the; 
island  forms  a  gentle  slope,  broken  into  pleasant  intervales,  divided  into 
charming  meadows  and  pasture-lands,  overgrown  with  potatoes  or  waving 
grain  and  fragrant  grasses,  and  ending  abruptly  in  cliffs  fifty  to  a  hun- 
dred feet  high.  Bits  of  dwarf  woodland  scattered  here  and  there  give 
a  very  picturesque  effect  to  this  pastoral  landsca[)e,  which  is  also  height- 
ened b}'  the  numbers  of  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep  everywhere  visible,  and 
the  farm-houses  of  the  tan  families  who  here  pass  away  their  nneventful 
but  not  unhappy  lives.  They  are  all  of  Irish  and  English  descent,  and 
such  a  thing  as  want  is  probably  unknown  on  Enti'y  Island.     It  contains 


UL1>    MAN    AND    ULU    WOMAN. 


about  thirtv-two  hundred  acres,  an  average  of  over  three  hundred  acres  to 
a  family.     They  export  some  stock  and  provisions,  including  considerable 


■1 

■  ! 

1 

1 — r 


;      i 

i] 


8-t 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANM)S. 


li    ' 


1        % 


-}.   S' 


butter.  IMrs.  Dixon  tuld  nio  she  owned  fifty-five  cows;  tlie  milk  is  ex- 
cellent, and  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  The  people  a[)pear  to  he  thrifty, 
and  yet  it  does  not  seem  that  they  make  the  most  of  their  o[)portnnities. 
lint  who  would  blame  them  for  this  ^  Thev  have  enough,  and  are  con- 
tent.  The  women  do  not  have  to  buy  four  hats  a  year,  or  study  the  fash- 
ions fi'om  Paris  ;  the  men  do  not  need  to  pore  over  the  daily  financial 
leports,  or  discuss  the  public-school  (piestion  in  a  place  where  all  are  l*i'ot- 
estants,  wiiei-e  there  are  no  schools,  and  only  a  minister  twice  or  thrice  a 
year  to  nuirry  and  christen.  At  the  same  time,  I  saw  books  and  pajKM's 
in  every  house  I  visited,  inc^luding  the  old  family  Ijible,  and  the  people 
are  as  intelligent  as  they  are  hos[)itable.  They  use,  in  connuon  with  all 
the  Magdalen  Islanders,  a  peculiar  S(juare  cast-iron  stove  set  on  high  legs 
between  two  rooms,  fitting  in  an  o[)ening  in  the  i)ai'tition  wall,  thus  heat- 
ing both  apartments  equally,  and  economizing  both  labor  and  fuel.  Here 
during  the  long  winter  days,  wiien  shut  out  entirely  from  the  rest  of  the 
world,  they  sit  and  s})in  yarns  and  woollen  at  the  same  time.  The  old- 
fashioned  s])inning-wheel  is  used  in  all  the  islands,  and  most  of  the  people 
are  clad  in  homespun. 

The  eastern  half  of  Entry  is  of  (piite  another  formation — bold  and 
mountainous.  Although  the  highest  elevations  are  but  lofty  hills,  yet  they 
are  really  so  high,  considering  the  small  area  from  which  they  rise,  as  to 
give  in  miniature  the  effect  of  a  very  rugged  and  nunintainous  land.  The 
highest  summit  is  six  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  sea  by  the  latest 
survey,  and  it  looks  higher,  it  is  so  steep.  The  pros]»ect  fi-om  the  toj)  on 
that  calm  September  dav  was  one  of  rare  beautv.  The  tints  of  sea  and 
sky  were  soft,  yet  rich  as  those  of  southern  latitudes.  At  our  feet  were 
spread  the  rich  uplands  and  lowlands  of  Entry  Island  encircled  by  a  Vwh) 
of  silver  foam.  IJcyond  lay  the  group  of  islets  clustering  around  Pleas- 
ant Pay,  the  red  and  gray  ])i'e(;ipices  of  Andierst,  Alright,  aiul  (Ji'indstone, 
bathed  in  hues  so  tender  and  beautifid  1  could  hardly  believe  it  was  not 
some  fair  scene  in  the  yEgean  pictured  befoi-e  me  like  an  excpiisite  dream. 
In  the  extreme  distance,  fifty  miles  away  to  the  southward,  could  be  dis- 
cerned the  faint  outlines  of  Cape  North  and  St.  Paul's  Island.  As  tiiis 
hill,  the  highest  elevation  in  the  Magdaltus,  and  comnninding  a  view  of 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  nearly  one  bund  "ed  miles  in  diameter,  has  re- 
mained without  a  name  up  to  this  time,  the  writer  has  veiitni'cd  to  name 
it  St.  Lawrence  Hill.  To  the  eastward  of  St.  Lawrence  Hill  is  Pig  Hill, 
about  fifty  feet  lower,  but  equally  well  defined.  From  these  two  peaks 
radiate  a  number  of  miniatiu-e  gorges  and  dells  thickly  overgrown  with 
savage  woodlands  of  dwarf  spruce,  intermingled  with  birch,  pine^  and  sas- 


TllK    MAiiDALKN    ISLANDS. 


s:> 


eafra?,  and  tcrmiiiatin*^  on  all  sides  l»ut  tlu;  land  side  in  astonisliing  cliffs, 
o-enerally  vertical,  and  in  sctnio  cases  ai^tually  overlian^'ing  the  sea.  These 
magnificent  preci^iices  are  three  hnndivd  and  tifty  feet  hii;h  at  the  east 
end,  i,n'adiially  risiii<j::  to  over  four  hundred  feet  on  tlie  southern  sidi'.  'J'lu! 
loftiest  of  these  cliffs,  for  lack  of  any  other  name,  is  here  trailed  the  Watch 
Tower.  Scar[>ed  and  scu][)tured  in  a  thousand  fantastic;  shapes,  and  hrill- 
iantly  lined  with  tlie  lively  and  Narieirated  tints  of  the  new  ivd  sand- 
stone, intermingled  with  gray  gypsum  and  warm  ochi'es,  the  cliffs  of  l']ntry 
Islanil  scarcely  vield  in  heantv  and  ixi'andeur  to  the  famous  rocks  of  th(! 
Chamiel  Islands,  which,  indeed,  never  reach  an  altitude  of  four  hundred 
feet.  Devil's  Island  is  a  ])erpendicular  isolated  mass  connected  with  th(! 
main  island  by  a  zigzag  curtain  some  thirty  yards  across,  over  three  hun- 


DHAG(iINO    THE    III'LL    OF    A    SrllODNEK    TO    THE    BEACH. 


drcd  feet  high,  and  tapering  up  to  an  al)solutc  edge;  scai'cc  an  inch  thick. 
The  sheep  wiggle  across  this  edge,  which  nniy  l)e  likened  to  the  hri'lge  of 
Al-Sirat,  to  browse  on  the  acre  of  grass  on  the  summit,  where  they  keep 
comj)any  with  a  colony  of  froebooting  foxes,  which,  gradually  driven  from 
one  })Ost  to  another,  have  taken  a  last  refuge  in  this  almost  inaccessibh^ 
stronghold  of  despair,  and  raid  on  the  hen-roosts  o'  stormy  inghts.  Xear 
the  Devil's  Ishmd  is  a  ]>ool  which  has  beer  sounded  farther  down  than 
the  sea-level  without  finding  bottom. 

I  returned  from  Entrv  to  Havre  Aubert  when  a  gale  ])remonitorv  (d' 

»/  nil/ 

the  equinoctial  was  setting  in,  and  was  obliged  to  wait  for  clearing  weath- 
er before  starting  for  Grindstoni!  Island.  At  lenirth  the  elements  seemed 
propitious,  and  we  set  out.  The  equipage,  driven  by  Jean  Nedeau,  who 
can  1)0  recommended  .as  a  ccnpctent  guide  across  the  fords,  and  cpiick- 


86 


THE  ATLANTIC   LSLANDS. 


sands  of  tlic  Mai!:tlivleiis,  consisted  of  a  cart  linno-  on  wliat  were  intended 
for  springs,  bnt  they  did  not  fullil  the  intent  of  the  maker.  The  jolting 
I  received  that  day  was  litted  to  search  ont  every  weak  spot  in  one's  anat- 
omy, and  Avonld  sorelv  have  tested  the  (lualitv  of  false  teeth.  One  conld 
readily  reali/.e  in  Jean  Nedeau's  cart  what  may  bo  the  sensaiion  of  having 

the  spine  piercing  u])ward  into  the 
sknll.  Tlie  stnrdy  roan  pony  that 
di'agged  us  along  at  a  throe-niile-an- 
hour  pace  was  of  a  decidedly  domes- 
tic turn,  and  was  stroni^lv  averse  to 
leaving  home. 

Our  road  led  around  the  south- 
ern side  of  Amherst  Island,  which  is 
eleven  miles  long,  east  and  west,  very 
hilly  in  the  interior,  being  five  hun- 
dred and  Hfty  feet  high,  and  general- 
ly cultivated.  Xear  the  lishing  ham- 
let called  the  Basin  we  saw  a  very 

V 

beautiful  yiew.  In  the  middle  dis- 
tance rose  the  Demoiselle  Hill  like  an  acropolis;  in  the  background  lay 
the  purple  heights  of  Entry  Island  like  the  main-land ;  and  in  the  fore- 
ground the  blue  Avaters  of  the  Basin,  girt  with  green  meadows,  where  the 
peasants  Avere  harvesting  the  hay.  No  scene  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
lias  ever  reminded  me  so  vividly  of  historic  bits  in  Asia  ILinor.  Passing 
the  hamlets  of  Pont-duMor.lin  and  Anse  au  Cabane,  the  road  skii-ted  the 
perpendicular  red  sea-cliffs  on  the  left,  -while  the  wind  sung  a  wild  mu- 
sic in  the  spruce  forests  on  our  right.  Here  we  saw  a  schooner  on  the 
stocks  on  a  cliff,  from  which  it  would  lie  slid  on  to  the  ice  in  the  winter. 
Many  snuiU  vessels  are  built  on  these  islands,  and  it  is  not  uneomnion  to 
construct  them  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  over  half  a  mile  from  the  sea- 
side. In  the  winter,  when  the  men  cannot  farm  or  lish,  the  ship-builder 
l>uys  a  few  gallons  of  gin,  and  then  invites  his  neighbors  to  the  launch. 
The  cradle  on  which  the  hull  is  laid  is  placed  on  runners,  and  drawn  over 
the  snow  by  many  willing  hands  tugging  at  the  cables.  When  they  reach 
the  cliff's  edge,  the  vessel  is  lowered  to  the  ice,  forty  or  lifty  feet  below, 
on  sloping  ways,  by  the  aid  of  crabs  and  a  few  oxen.  When  the  ice 
}comes  a  thiuir  of  life,  and  ffoes  forth  to  battle  wiH:  the 


TUnOUCIl    THE    SUIIF. 


'P 


storms. 


\^ 


If, 


At  ten  o'clock  we  came  down  to  t      \agoon  called  Basque  Harbor,  and 
began  the  toilsome  journey  along  the  dunes  which  protect  it  on  the  north- 


f 


TIIK  MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 


87 


western  side.  After  proceed in<;j  a  couple  of  miles,  shielded  from  the  sea 
hy  a  ranfi;e  of  low  sand  hills,  we  came  to  a  break  where  the  tide  rushed 
tiirongh  like  a  mill-race :  here  we  waited  for  the  tide  an  hour,  with  ample 
time  to  study  one  of  the  wildest  ami  most  desolate  scenes  on  the  face  of 
the  earth.  Shar[)-speared  salt  grass  scantily  covered  the  tops  of  the  sand 
Jiummocks,  and  relieved  the  uniform  white,  which  only  seemed  more  repel- 
linij  when  the  surf  lashed  it  with  the  foam  of  a  storm  that  was  gathering 
in  the  south-east,  thi'eatening  and  terrible  in  its  gloom.  Wreclcs,  or  bits 
of  wreck,  were  everywhere  visible,  partly  covered  by  the  shitting  sands. 
Seaward,  Deadinan's  Island  was  distinctlv  seen^ — a  large  rock  resembling 
a  corpse  laid  out.  When  the  tide  had  fallen  somewhat,  we  ventured  to 
cross,  feeling  our  way  along  a  shoal  near  the  centi'c  of  the  lagoon.  The 
water  was  up  to  the  hubs  of  the  wheels,  and  any  deflection  from  the  land- 
marks which  guided  us  might  have  proved  hazardous.  After  wading  two- 
tliirds  of  a  mile,  we  once  more  stood  on  dry  but  not  on  iirm  land,  for  that 
epithet  will  hardly  ajiply  to  bars  more  or  less  affected  by  evei-y  storm,  and 
in  ])laces  completely  covered  by  the  sea  in  a  gale  of  wind.  After  this, 
we  proceeded  along  the  open  beach,  with  the  surf  breaking  among  the 
spokes  of  the  wheels.  Curlew,  plover,  and  wild-geese  seemed  to  abound. 
In  one  spot  two  wrecks  lay  close  together;  one  of  them  had  been  there 


I'OllT    AND    VILLAGE    OF    ETANO    DII     NOIID,   GRINDSTONE     ISLAND. 

ten  years,  and  was  still  in  tolerably  good  condition.  She  sailed  out  of 
Miramichi,  a  noble  vessel  of  twelve  hundred  tons,  just  off  the  slocks.  It 
was  her  first  voyage.  She  had  proceeded  less  thati  two  hundred  miles 
when  she  brought  up  on  .he  Magdalen  Islatids,  The  owner  got  his  in- 
surance, but  the  circumstances  were  against  him.     The  far-sighted  and 


if 


■ 


T!» 


' 


1 

1 
1' 

i 

1 

■        i    I 

: 
i     i 

^ 


^  i 


88 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


resolute  audacity  that  will  build  a  vct^sol  to  cast  it  away  is  almost  sublime, 
while  one  hardly  knows  what  to  think  of  the  sailor  who  will  deliberately 
destroy  a  shijt  on  her  first  voyage. 

Fording  one  or  two  more  snuill  iidets,  we  at  length  readied  the  end 
of  the  dune,  twelve  miles  long,  and  entered  the  curious  fishing-village  of 
Etang  du  Nord,  on  (irindstone  Island.  In  summer  many  of  the  peo})le 
leave  their  houses  inland  and  come  down  to  this  place.  The  men  go  a-fish- 
ing  when  the  weather  is  at  all  practicable,  while  the  women  and  children 
dry  the  fish  and  have  a  warm  meal  ready  when  the  men  return.  A  large 
fieet  of  strong  fishing-boats  of  large  size  crowds  the  little  port,  just  outside 
of  which  lies  the  curious  rock  called  (Jull  Island.  The  shore  of  the  lui- 
ven  is  lined  with  rude  houses  on  staii'cs  in  the  water  for  the  storiu"-  of 
the  fi'csli  fish,  and  the  huts  of  the  fishermen  are  I'anged  behind  these.  A 
(plaint  place  is  Etang  du  Nord,  with  its  French  peoi)le  and  manners;  and 
as  I  took  a  capital  fast-day  dinner  in  the  snug  house  of  M.  iJounpie,  I 
could  almost  imagine  mvself  back  in  the  fishing-towns  of  Brittanv.  Fi'om 
here  in  the  dusk  we  jolted  through  the  woods,  down  hilly  paths,  to  the 
house  of  M.Nelson  Arseneau,  at  Havre  aux  Mai  sons,  where  1  was  hosjii- 
tably  entertained  for  several  days:  '*  Yous  etes  chez  vous,  monsieur,"  as 
mine  host  said  to  me,  with  unaffected  cordiality. 

l*art  of  the  little  settlement  of  Havre  anx  Maisons,  or  House  Harbor, 
is  situated  on  AliMii'ht  Island,  which  is  reached  bv  a  ferrv.  I'oth  islands 
have  some  remarkable  headlands  over  three  hundred  feet  high,  notably 
Cap  uu  Meule,  Cape  (irindstone,  and  Cape  Alright;  while  each  contains 
much  fine  farming  land,  with  comft»rtable  farms  and  pretty  valleys,  af- 
fording pasture  to  numerous  fiocks  and  herds.  Abundance  of  grain  is 
raised  on  these  islands,  but  the  general  complaint  is  that  there  are  no  mills 
to  grind  it.  Brooks  there  are  which,  by  the  aid  of  a  dam,  could  furnish 
the  power;  but  I  could  not  but  thiidc  it  very  strange  that,  with  such  a 
cai)ital  situation  and  such  abundance  of  wind,  they  do  not  use  windmills, 
which  ai'e  quite  inexpensive.  Cranberries  grow  on  the  islands,  and  the 
cultivation  of  that  beautiful  berry  might  easily  become  profitable. 

Havre  aux  ]\[aisons  is  a  port  of  much  im[)ortance  as  the  seat  of  the 
seal  fisheries,  in  iiddition  to  what  is  done  there  in  the  disposal  of  shore 
mackerel  and  ship-building.  In  the  last  century  the  walrus  frecpientcd 
the  ]\Iag(lalens  in  vast  numbers,  l)ut  they  were  at  last  frightened  away  by 
the  prodigious  slaughter.  But  the  seal  has  always  been  common  arouiul 
there,  and  sometimes  the  catch  is  important.  In  the  winter  of  1875  over 
20,000  were  taken,  valued  at  $00,000  to  the  hunters,  and  yielding  sev- 
eral thousand  barrels  of  oil  in  addition  to  the  skins.     The  oil  is  tried  out 


TIIH   .MAGDALKN   ISLANDS. 


SO 


ill  vats.  Tlie  Itlubbcr  is  thrown  in  at  tlii'  top,  wliicli  is  left  open  ;  wlit-n 
the  spriiiii"  sun  arrives,  the  warmth  melts  the  hhihher,  and  the  oil  runs  into 
the  tubs  below.  The  seals  are  caui^ht  on  the  fioatiiiiij  ice,  whicli  sometimes 
extends  many  miles,  but  is  liable  to  be  blown  away  from  the  shore  iee 
with  a  (;han«j:;e  ot"  wind.  Inimonse  is  the  excitement  tiiroui>'hout  the  whole 
settlement  when  news  runs  fi'oni  one  end  to  the  other  like  wildfire  that 
the  seals  have  arrived.  Every  soul  turns  out,  ineludini;  the  women,  who 
stand  on  the  beach  with  refreshments.  Every  party  of  hunters  carries 
a  small  skitf,  with  which  to  return  in  ease  the  ice  moves  off.  Dragu'in;:; 
the  dead  seals  over  the  ice  is  a  very  exhaustiiii":  labor;  some  now  use 
horses  and  sledi:;es  for  this  purpose;  but  at  best  it  is  a  fearfully  labori- 


<'A1'    AU    MlilLE    AND    WIIKCK,    (illlNDSTONE     ISLAND. 


Oils  and  dann'crous  work,  and  manv  have  lost  their  lives,  carried  awav  on 
the  ice. 

It  mav  not  bo  2;cnerallv  known  that  our  fishermen  have  for  years 
frecpiented  the  Magdalen  Islands  ioY  mackerel.  It  is  not  uncommon  to 
see  a  licet  of  two  hundred  schooners  in  tliosc  waters,  taking  home  annually 
30,000  barrels  of  mackerel,  worth  over  §350,000  at  a  low  estimate.  l>ut 
the  fishermen  of  those  islands  also  pursue  the  shore  fisheries  with  profit 
in  boats.  Kino  thousand  barrels  of  mackerel  and  ten  thousand  quintals 
of  cod,  worth  in  the  aggregate  §100,000,  are  set  down  to  their  credit,  ex- 
clusive of  what  were  caught  by  the  Yankee  flshei'inen,  during  the  not  very 


1 

^ 

1 

' 

;| 


i'!f 


90 


TllH   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


profitable  season  of  1875.     The  hoiTiiirij  fisheries  arc  also  of  great  value 
and  iin[)ortan(!e  at  the  Ma<^(lal('ii  Islands. 

North-east  from  (Irindstone  Island  stretches  the  broad  and  navigable 
lagoon  formed  by  AVolf  and  Alright  islands  on  either  side,  with  their  long 


PAllT    OF    CAPE    ALItiailT. 


sand  dnnes  that  unite  them  with  Grosse  Isle  and  Coffin  Island,  Gi-aiid 
Entry  Harbor  is  a  fine  port  of  refuge  between  the  two  latter  islands,  which 
are  the  most  common  resort  of  the  seals.  Detached  from  these  to  the 
north  are  the  Bird  Rocks,  and  Biron  Island,  which  is  inhabited  by  a  few 
families  who  cultivate  its  rich  soil  and  raise  stock ;  but  it  is  inaccessible, 
except  when  the  weather  is  serene  and  with  the  wind  off  shore.  Owing 
to  the  lateness  of  the  season  warning  me  to  seize  the  first  oii])ortiinity  to 
leave,  and  the  fierceness  of  the  equinoctial  gales,  which  lashed  the  Gulf 
surges  into  rage  nnwonted  even  in  that  turbulent  sea,  I  was  nnable  to 
visit  the  remaining  islands.  Passage  was  kindly  offered  me  in  the  small 
schooner  Sea  Foam  to  Souris;  but,  on  account  of  the  heavy  surf  on  the 
bar,  we  could  not  avail  ourselves  of  the  favorable  wind  after  the  gale,  but 
were  forced  to  wait  a  day.  The  ship-channel  of  Havre  aux  Maisons  is 
^•ery  tortuous,  in  some  places  scarcely  a  ship's  width,  and  lies  so  near  the 
end  of  the  spit  that  it  can  be  touched  by  an  oar  in  passing,  while  the  cur- 
rent of  the  incominsr  or  outs'oino^  tide  rushes  throuo-h  with  such  violence 
that  in  a  moderate  breeze  it  is  extremely  difficult  for  a  vessel  to  get  by 
the  spit  without  being  headed  off  by  the  tide  and  slewed  on  a  bank. 
Three  times  we  got  aground,  and  each  time  waited  for  the  tide  to  lift 
us  off.  The  same  thing  happened  to  the  schooners  in  company  with  us. 
Finally,  by  the  aid  of  a  kedge,  at  slack  tide,  we  were  able  to  slip  through 
the  channel  and  put  out  into  the  open  water  of  Pleasant  Bay.     But  our 


TIIK   MAGDALEN    ISLANDS. 


91 


I'jiir  bi'cczc  had  fiiilcd  ns,  and  the  weather  looked  diil)i()us  and  thrcateiilni;, 
with  light  and  biitiling  winds  all  night,  which  took  us  to  the  southward 
of  Entry  Island,  when  the  wind  settled  in  the  south-west,  with  lightning, 
a  heavy  sea,  and  a  very  wieked-looking  sky  in  the  offing.  A  storm  was 
brewing,  and  after  a  hasty  consultation  the  helm  was  put  up,  and  we  boro 
away  again  for  Pleasant  Bay,  where  we  dropped  the  nuul-hook  under  the 
lee  of  the  Demoiselle  Hill,  and  were  soon  joined  by  a  fleet  of  schooners. 
It  blew  fresh  all  day,  shifting  into  the  west,  with  a  line  clear  sky.  In  the 
afternoon  we  got  up  the  anehur  and  moved  farther  up  the  bay,  oppt)site 
JJasque  Harbor,  to  make  a  lee  in  ease  the  wind  should  shift  to  the  north- 
(\ist  in  the  night.  There  wo  lay  until  the  following  afternoon.  The 
time  M'as  pleasantly  whiled  away  exchanging  visits  with  the  neighboring 
schooners.  Some  very  sensible,  good  fellows,  with  now  and  then  a  comical 
genius,  were  discovered  in  the  diminutive  cabins  of  these  little  craft,  and 
the  conversation,  the  merriment,  and  the  yarns  never  flagged.  On  board 
our  schooner  wo  numbered  six,  consisting  of  the  owners,  the  passcngei", 
the  skipper,  the  officers  and  crew, 
(combined  in  the  burly  person  of  one 
man  named  Jim,  and  Joe,  the  cook, 
who  professed  to  be  from  Glouces- 
ter, and  was  one  of  the  most  singu- 
lar characters  ever  seen  on  board  a 
schooner.  Cleanliness  in  his  person 
or  apparel  was  not  one  of  his  prom- 
inent traits.  I  know  he  has  wash- 
ed his  hands  at  least  once  in  his 
life,  because  I  heard  the  owner  of 
the  schooner  send  him  on  deck  to 
do  so  just  as  he  was  about  to  knead 
some  dough.  As  a  cook,  he  was 
voted  to  be  the  greatest  failure  of 
the  season,  although  he  limited  him- 
self to  cookin<»;  onlv  salt-horse,  cod- 
tish,  and  potatoes  with  their  jackets 
on.  But  the  imperturbability  of  his  disposition,  combined  with  an  impu- 
dence that  almost  exceeds  belief,  afforded  us  a  compensating  fund  of  en- 
tertainment, aided  by  the  mulying  feud  that  existed  between  this  hojjeful 
disciple  of  Soyer  and  the  skipper. 

"  131ast  your  eyes  1"  roared  the  skipper,  at  dinner,  "  why  don't  yon  put 
the  beef  to  soak  before  you  boil  it,  you  young  pirate  i" 


THE    SERENE    JOSEPEI. 


rr-r 


li 


H 


I    „    S 


if 

'      1 

i 

;       'i;     V 

i   iri 

,  it       '        ■ 

1         1      i 

H     i. 

,    1   ;. 

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i 

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1  -      i' 

j        1 

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1 

li 

.11 

02 


Tin:   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


"  It  wsis  sojikcd,"  said  tlie  scroiio  Joseidi. 

''Aii(l  who  wiis  it  l)iit  myself  who  put  it  in  to  so.'ik  at  the  last  luiii- 
ute?"  replied  the  skipper. 

"Well,  if  you  put  it  in  to  soak,  what  was  the  need  of  niy  doing  it, 
eh?"  answered  the  respectful  youth. 

'•I) n   your  impudence!"  yelled  the  skii)per,  now  faii'ly  shakinir 

M'ith  ra<;e,  and  luii'lini;  a  hatchet  at  the  hrazen-faced  youth,  who  dodgvd 
it,  and  it  struck  the  side  of  a  bunk,  just  over  his  head. 

The  whole  niorniui;  Joe  lay  in  a  sunny  spot  on  deck,  out  of  the  wind, 
in  a  brown-study.  In  the  evcniui;  he  handed  around  a  <i;reasy  note-boctk, 
in  which  he  had  put  down  the  result  of  his  meditatit»ns  in  the  form  of 
a  satirical  poem  on  the  captain,  which  was  not  altogether  destitute  of 
literary  merit. 

It  was  very  interesting,  while  we  lay  there,  to  watch  the  gannets  div- 
iun;  for  mackerel,  liisiuii;  to  a  i>:reat  heiiiht,  they  suddenly  turned  head 
downward,  and,  folding  their  wings  close  to  the  body,  dropped  into  the 
water  with  the  speed  and  violence  of  a  shot,  splashing  the  spray  well  int(» 
the  air.  When  a  Hock  of  them  were  diving  in  this  way  over  a  school  of 
fish,  the  effect  was  that  of  balls  falT'iij;  into  the  sea  durini;  a  naval  battle. 

On  the  following  day  by  noon  the  wind  got  into  the  north-west,  and 
it  was  decided  to  make  another  attempt  to  get  across.  We  ran  through 
the  channel  between  Entry  and  Andierst,  passing  near  to  the  TlgrcK^ 
steamer,  which  was  wrecked  on  the  former  island  in  the  late  gale  two 
days  previously.  The  sunset  that  evening  was  one  of  the  most  superb 
it  has  been  my  fortune  to  see.  The  \vaves  were  of  the  most  exquisiti; 
emerald  hue,  tossing  up  their  spray  like  diamonds,  while  sixty-five  of  our 
schooners  fishing  close  together  under  the  lee  of  the  pin-ple  hills  of  Am- 
herst Island,  their  main-sails  touched  with  a  rosy  flame,  and  flocks  of  sea- 
birds  darting  hither  and  thither  like  bearers  of  light,  or  shooting-stars, 
their  white  wings  illumined  by  the  glory  of  the  setting  sun,  combined  to 
compose  a  marine  view  of  unsurpassed  magnificence.  J>ut  after  the  sun 
went  down,  the  weather  looked  less  satisfactory ;  however,  it  was  decided 
to  keep  on. 

All  night  the  wind  was  fresh  but  steady :  all  hands  took  tnrns  at  steer- 
ing and  watching,  and  a  sharp  lookout  was  kept  for  East  Point  Light,  on 
Prince  Edward  Island.  This  was  made  more  difficult  l)e('ause  a  number 
of  fishermen  were  tackinu:  about  or  lyinjr  at  an  aiu;hoi,  and  their  liijhts 
sometimes  looked  suriirisinfrlv  like  the  c-leam  of  a  liyht  on  shore.  After 
taking  another  look,  the  skipper  went  below  again  to  catch  forty  wiid<s. 
Jim  was  at  the  wheel,  and  the  writer,  leaning  against  the  foremast,  and 


TIIK    MA(J1)ALK\    ISLANDS. 


08 


(l(j(lniiiij  the  siii'ay  \vlii(tli  shot  o\oi'  tho  bow,  was  on  tlu;  l(»(»k(»iit.  lint 
,lini  also  wanted  to  jljo  below,  ostensibly  to  ijet  his  son'-wester  ;  and  I 
went  to  the  wheel.  However,  when  ho  fonnd  himself  in  the  warm,  sung 
cuddy,  ho  stretehed  himself  along-sido  of  tho  other  four,  and  there  they 
all  lay  on  the  floor,  snorintf  as  if  we  were  a  thonsand  miles  from  land.  It 
was,  however,  not  a  bad  ni!j;ht  to  have  the  deck  to  one's  self,  to  hold  tho 
old  schooner  headinfjf  soii'-west  and  by  south  by  tho  feeble  glim  in  the 
bimiacle,  to  kee}>  a  sharp  lookout  for  tho  light  under  the  leeeh  oi  tho 
main-sail,  an  eye  to  windward  for  squalls,  and  also  find  an  odd  second  now 
and  then  for  reflections  su<fgcsted  bv  the  s('ene.  It  was  a  ninrkv,  rest- 
less  night  about  two  in  the  morning;  the  wind  growing  fresher,  and  com- 
ing in  flaws  moaning  through  the  rigging,  and  driving  dark  clouds  across 
tho  stars  that  twinkled  heio  aiul  there.  Everything  betokened  a  change 
of  weather  and  a  storm  beft)ro  long.  The  schooner,  close  hauled  on  the 
starboard  tack,  hekl  bravely  on  her  course,  careening  over  gracefully  as 
a  stiff  \)\\{i  would  strike  her;  then  a  turn  of  tho  wheel  shivered  tho  head- 
sails,  and  she  was  all  right  again.  IJut  at  last  I  became  convinced  that  a 
light  on  the  lee  bow  could  bo  no  other  than  the  one  we  were  looking  for, 
and  I  called  up  the  ski]ij)er.  Immediately  on  seeing  it,  ho  oi'dorcd  the 
helm  to  be  put  up,  and,  slackening  the  main-sheet,  we  bore  away  to  give 
tho  reef  off  tho  point  a  wide  berth.  In  the  August  gale  of  IST-J,  two  of 
om-  schooners  running  before  it,  and  with  no  other  ])ossiblo  course  that 
they  could  take  and  live,  ran  over  the  reef,  and,  owing  to  the  depth  of 
water  then  on  it,  might  have  escaped  if  they  had  not  lost  headway  when 
their  foresails  jibed.  An  enormous  breaker  overtook  and  swooped  over 
them  at  that  critical  instant.  In  a  twinkling  they  were  seen  to  capsize 
and  go  down,  and  not  a  vestige  of  them  was  ever  seen  again.  Ideating 
under  the  land  against  a  strong  breeze,  accompanied  by  a  fleet  of  schoon- 
ers running  for  a  lee,  wo  reached  Souris  at  noon,  just  es<raping  a  hurri- 
cane, which  canio  on  soon  after  and  destroyed  manv  vessels. 


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94 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


' 


CHAPTER  V. 


MADEIRA. 


81  Si 


1     I 


ADEIRA  is  an  island  lying  off  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  the  latitndo 
■^^'~  of  Charleston,  S,  C,  a  resort  for  invalids.  It  is  said  to  be  exceed- 
ingly rich  in  natnral  beanty,  and  its  wine  is  fanions," 

That  was  all  I  knew  about  the  island — quite  as  much,  if  not  more 
than  is  known  probably  to  most  Americans;  but  a  trip  made  the  previous 
summer  to  the  Azores  had  whetted  my  appetite,  and  happening,  about  the 
time  I  was  thinking  of  another  cruise,  to  come  across  Captain  Hardy,  of 
the  bark  Ethan  Alk-n,  his  glowing  description  of  Madeii-a  easily  induced 
me  to  take  passage  with  him,  engaging  the  same  state-room  as  on  a  former 
voyage.  We  had  been  twenty  days  out  of  Boston,  running,  generally, 
with  a  fair  wind  and  less  incident  than  nsual,  when  "Land  ho!"  was  the 
cry,  and  there,  indeed,  was  the  loom  of  land  faintly  discernible  under  a 
mass  of  cunudus  cloud  on  the  M-eather  bow.  For  several  horn's  it  was 
doubtful  whether  what  we  saw  was  Madeira  or  its  neighbor,  Porto  Santo; 
but,  after  a  while,  three  isolated  hummocks,  pale-blue,  under  the  lee  bow. 
gradually  assuming  the  peculiar  outline  of  Porto  Santo,  indicated  that 
Madeira  was  the  land  on  our  right,  enveloped,  as  nsual,  in  a  curtain  of 
vapor,  and  sixty  miles  distant.  Porto  Santo,  twenty-two  miles  north-east 
of  its  neighbor,  is  snuill  and  barren,  chiefly  valuable  for  its  limestone 
quarr}',  a  geological  phenomenon  in  the  group.  Until  recently  it  was  also 
a  penal  settlement  to  which  convicts  from  Funchal  were  transported. 

Tlie  lightness  of  the  breeze  made  our  approacli  very  slow,  and  it  was 
oiily  on  the  following  morning  that  we  drew  near  Madeira,  and,  very  fort- 
unately, obtained  an  uninterrui)ted  view  of  its  magnificent  outline,  falling 
at  either  end  abruptly  to  the  sea,  with  lofty  precipictes  and  vast  detached 
rocks  of  ragged  and  fantastic  shapes  and  rich  volcanic  tints,  along  the 
whole  coast-line;  while  from  the  sea  the  land  arose  rapidly  to  the  centre, 
where  a  cluster  of  ]>eaks,  closely  grouped,  deeply  grooved  and  tun-eted, 
suggesting  the  bastions  and  pinnacles  of  a  gigantic  fortress,  were  cut  clear- 
ly against  the  sky  with  the  sharpness  of  sculpture.     Passing  Saii  Lorenzo 


MADEIRA. 


95 


Point  with  a  leading  wind,  we  were  innnediatcly  lieaded  off  by  one  of 
the  nnnierous  air  currents  whicli  prevail  on  the  soutiiern  side  and  neu- 
tralize the  north-east  trades,  and  fet»;Iied  a  tiiek  across  to  the  Desertas, 
three  rocky  islets  belonging  to  the  Madeira  group.  Very  narrow,  like 
a  winding  wall,  they  rise  to  the  height  of  two  thousand  feet,  and  are 
next  to  inaccessible ;  while  the  violent  squalls,  which  <?nring  unawares 
from  the  cliff's,  oblige  the  mariner  to  exercise  unusual  vigilance  in  their 
vicinity. 

Off  the  end  of  Cliao,  the  northernmost,  is  a  needle-rock,  one  hundred 


i; 


THE  MADEIRA 
ISLANDS 


PORTO  SANTO 
FerrqS 


'Point  San  Loreixa 


LoDKltuilB  Wt-Ht  fruin  Ureeiiwlch 


16    3a 


^■.1 1 »..,  K.  r. 


and  sixty  feet  high.,  resembling  a  ship  by  the  wind,  as  seen  from  the  stern  ; 
it  is  naturally  called  Sail  Rock.  A  handful  of  fishermen  share  the  Deser- 
tas with  the  eats,  which  liave  colonized  and  overrun  them,  and  gather  or- 
chilla  and  catch  shearwaters  by  swinging  over  the  precipices.  The  birds 
are  pickled,  while  the  plumage  is  reserved  for  the  beautifid  feather-work 
of  Afadeira.  When  a  supply  of  thi  's  collected,  an  immense  beacon-lire 
is  kindled  on  the  highest  peak  to  sunnn^  ii  boats  from  Funchal,  thirty  miles 


If  If 


s  u 


90 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


FDNCHAL  HARBOR  AND  BHAZEN  HEAD. 


(listatit     It  is  more  tlian   surmised  that  smnggliiig-  is  also  successfully 
carried  on  at  the  J3esertas, 

The  port  of  Fuiichal  is  only  a  slight  curve  between  two  headhmds, 
with  a  sea  exposure  reaching  to  the  south  pole.  Yet  ships  lie  here  all 
the  year  round.  During  the  winter  months  vessels  sometimes  have  to  slip 
and  run  for  an  offing;  but  the  rest  of  the  year  the  hazard  is  slight.  A 
brig  took  out  and  repaired  her  main-mast  while  we.  were  there  as  fearless- 
ly as  if  moored  in  a  dock  in  a  snug  liarbor.  There  is  no  landing-place 
excejit  the  beach,  and  boats  of  the  most  diminutive  size  venture  out  into 
the  bay.  Nothing  so  much  impressed  me  with  a  sense  of  the  mildness 
of  the  climate  of  Madeira  as  the  security  of  this  exposed  roadstead.  The 
boats  are  pointed  at  both  ends,  ihc  keel-piece  being  carried  several  feet 
above  the  gunwale.  The  stern-post  is  rounded  at  the  heel,  and  a  rope  is 
passed  through  it;  a  triple  keel  keeps  the  boat  in  an  upright  position  on 


MADKIRA. 


1)7 


sliorc.  Wlit'ii  the  beticli  is  reached  the  bout  is  tuiiied  stem  foremost,  and 
men  bared  to  the  hips  rnsh  into  the  surf,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  roj^e  lift 
the  l)oat  up  tlie  stee[)ly  shelving  shore.  Ships  are  loaded  and  dischai-ged 
entirely  by  large  lighters,  which  are  drawn  on  the  beach  by  immense  cap- 
stans, called  crabs.  An  armv  of  veiling,  barede<rged  boatmen  is  recinired 
to  land  or  launch  a  loaded  lighter.  The  beach  of  Funchal — crowded  with 
rows  of  picturesquely  shaped,  gayly  painted  boats;  enlivened  by  the  roar 
of  the  surf,  and  the  constant  landing  of  boats,  and  the  JJabel-like  vocif- 
erations of  boatmen  and  the  drivei's  of  ox-teams;  and  Hanked  at  one  end 
by  the  governor's  residence  and  a  noble  avenue  of  plane-trees,  and  at 
the  other  by  a  shaded  Praca  and  an  old  red  fort  j)eaked  with  ])epper- 
box  turrets,  the  warm  cliffs  of  13razen  Head  rising  behind  it,  and  the  soft 
violet  outlines  of  the  Desertas  in  the  otling — presents  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting scenes  on  the  island.  Loo  Hock  and  the  castle  (which  seems  an 
integral  part  of  it),  dovetailing  with  the  jagged  pinnacles  of  the  rock,  form 
one  of  the  most  effective  features  of  this  scene,  standing  isolated  and 
pictures(|ue  against  the  sky. 

The  port  of  Funchal  is  often  enlivened  by  steamers  and  ships  touch- 
ing there  from  the  coast  of  Africa.  Their  decks  are  crowded  with  crates 
and  cages  full  of  tropical  fruits,  and  parrots  and  monkeys,  the  screeching 
and  chattering  of  the  latter  being  distinctly  heard  at  some  distance.  This 
gives  rise  to  many  amusing  incidents.     ]>oys  go  off  from  the  beach  to 


r  7?* 


ill 


iiii 


^^ 


' 

I 

-^    I 

.;      ^ 

■'1 

» ■ 

i! 

J: 

i 

98 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


these  steamers  in  tiny  boats,  and.  elanioiinjjf  louilly  for  pennies,  dive  to  a 
}:;reiit  depth  in  the  clear  tunpioise-eolored  water  and  fetch  up  coins.  Now 
and  then  a  shark's  tin  steaUliily  and  ominously  appears  on  the  surface; 
hut  accidents  very  rarely  happen. 

Soon  after  1  arrived  the  first  time  at  IMadeira,  a  (ii-eek  polacre  brii; 
came  in  from  Sierra  Leone,  hound  for  Marseilles  with  a  car^u  of  peanuts. 
She  had  been  becalmed  in  the  doldrums,  and  had  been  ninety-live  days 
nuvking  some  fifteen  hundred  miles.  No  sooner  had  she  anchored  than 
a  negro  sailor  escaped  from  her  and  came  on  board  our  vessel.  As  he 
seemed  determined  to  stay,  Captain  Hardy  iinally  concluded  to  send  him 
back  to  the  bri<j:,  and,  as  I  spoke  Greek,  asked  me  to  go  with  the  boat 
and  exjjlain  the  matter  to  the  captain  of  the  brig. 

I  found  the  vessel  a})parently  in  the  last  degree  of  neglecrt,  the  coun- 
teri>art  of  scores  of  similar  craft  I  had  seen  in  the  Levant.  Neither  paint 
nor  tar  seemed  to  have  touched  the  hull  or  riiriiiui;  since  she  had  been 
built.  Everything  was  slack  and  in  unmentionable  confusion.  The  pea- 
nuts fairly  bubbled  on  deck  over  the  open  hatches;  and  monkeys  and 
parrots  snapped  or  winked  at  one  from  their  cages  or  hiding-places  under 
])iles  of  old  s[)ars,  A  curious  scene  was  the  deck  of  that  brig,  rendered 
more  singular  b\  the  handsome  and  tidy  appearance  of  the  cajttain,  who 
stood  by  the  companion-way  and  received  mo  with  the  courtesy  of  a 
prince.  lie  spoke  French  and  Greek  alternately,  and  with  almost  equal 
facility,  and  ordered  the  cabin-boy  to  bring  np  some  Madeira  wine,  which, 
I  regret  to  say,  was  of  a  poor  quality.  I  then  gave  my  message  regard- 
ing the  black  sailor,  who  was  now  sitting  on  the  rail  dangling  his  feet 
over  the  water. 

The  (rreek  listened  with  simulated  nonchalance ;  but  when  I  had 
done,  his  fiwy  exploded.  Seizing  a  calker's  mallet,  and  hurling  terrific 
imprecations,  he  flew  at  the  negro  with  a  ferocity  that  led  me  to  expect 
to  see  his  brains  dashed  out  on  the  instant.  Raising  the  mallet,  the 
Greek  brought  it  down  with  great  violence  to  within  an  inch  of  the 
negro's  skull,  and  let  it  stop  there,  lie  then  Hung  down  the  nudlet,  and 
came  back  as  serene  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  But  the  negro,  wh(» 
had  neither  flinched  nor  winked,  still  remained  in  his  place.  After  talk- 
ing with  me  a  few  minutes,  the  Greek  cajitain  was  seized  by  another  ])ar- 
oxysm  of  frantic  rage,  and,  snatching  up  the  mallet  again,  rushed  at  the 
negro  with  even  more  violence  than  before;  but  again  the  nudlet  stopped 
within  an  inch  of  the  victim's  head.  Here  was  a  blending  of  frenzy  and 
self-control  that  was  nmst  extraordinary  and  unaccountable,  f'oming 
aft  again,  with  a  sardonic  smile  on  his  classic  but  rather  piratical  feat- 


MADEIRA. 


♦»I) 


iires,  the  Greek  ciiUed  for  anotlier  (^laps  of  wine,  and  cliattcd  in  tlu;  most 
nnconcenied  manner,  until  a  third  tit  of  fuiy  eanie  upon  him.  This  time 
he  •vvas  undoubtedly  in  earnest;  for  lie  did  not  take  up  the  mallet,  but 
makinji;  a  dash  at  the  negi-o,  seized  him  with  a  death- like  trrip,  and,  in 
sjiite  of  his  eiforts  at  reslstanee,  hurled  him  over  the  ship's  side  into  the 
boat,  where  he  struck  on  the  thwarts,  severely  hurtiiiij:  liiiuself,  and  nearly 
hreakinjjf  ills  baek,  Callinj^  awsiy  the  boat's  crew,  I  now  returned  aboanl 
the  bark.     The  poor  nei^ro  deserted  ajj^ain  the  next  day. 

Funchal,  seen  from  the  sea,  lies  on  a  slope  of  exti-aordinary  a1)rn])t- 
ness,  rent  into  three  divisictns  by  two  gorges  whose  sides  are  ragged  and 
nearly  verti(!al.  At  the  head  of  these  ravines,  inmiediately  behind  the 
city,  peaks  4000  to  5000  feet  high  ai)pear  through  rifts  in  the  canoj>y  of 


THE    8L£DGE-IIACK. 


clouds.  A  gray  old  castle,  perched  on  a  spur  projecting  from  the  mouti- 
tains,  whose  teeth  have  been  drawn — for  its  quaint  outlandish  brass  pieces 
have  flashed  the  grim  menace  of  war  for  the  last  time — assists  the  eye 
to  realize  the  suddenness  of  these  prc(!ipitons  ranges,  and  greatly  adds  to 
the  effective  prospect  of  the  town.  On  landing,  thv  trauger  very  soon 
learns  the  actual  steepness  of  the  place,  and  iinds  that  your  true  ]\Ia- 
deirian  walks  on  three  legs,  or,  in  other  words,  assists  nature  with  a  staff, 
which,  by  often  saving  one  from  a  severe  fall,  becomes  literally  the  staff 
of  life.  The  streets  are  paved  with  round  pebbles,  whose  natural  slipperi- 
ness  is  increased  by  friction,  and  also  by  the  grease-bags  of  the  sledges, 
insomuch  that  they  are  often  worn  flat,  smooth  as  glass,  and  scarcely  less 
treacherous.  I  found  myself  sometimes  clinging  to  the  walls  on  a  steep 
incline  with  the  tenacious  grasp  of  ivy.     The  sledges  alluded  to  are  the 


I! 


Illit 

in 


iii « 


I 


I'll' 


100 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


nearest  approaeli  to  a  wheeled  veliii'le  used  on  the  island.  Thoy  ai-e 
di'awn  by  oxen  truided  hy  leathern  thongs  passed  through  the  tii)s  ol"  tho 
horns.  The  dravs  are  a  mere  slab  twelve  to  eiiihteen  inches  wide, 
strengthened  by  a  riiu  on  the  u[)per  ii(\'^o^  and  are  of  the  same  form, 
wliether  used  by  farmers  or  draymen.  The  hacks  resemble  our  old-fash- 
ioned covei'ed  sleighs,  except  that  the  runners  are  of  wood  alone,  and  a 
cross-bar  rests  on  the  il(»or  inside  for  the  support  of  the  feet  when  climb- 
ing or  descending  the  stee})  declivities.  The  driver  carries  a  grease-bag, 
which  he  lays  at  intervals  in  front  of  the  runners.  One  of  the  most 
characteristic  cries  of  Finu;hal  is  the  yelling  of  the  ox-di'ivers,  "Ca,  para 
mi,  boi !  ca,  ca,  ca,  ca !  o-o-o-ah  !"  (Come  here  to  me,  O  oxen  I  here  to 
me  !  whoa  !) 

The  hammock,  carried  on  men's  shoulders,  is  another  conveyance  pe- 
culiar to  Funchal.  While  this  is  of  especial  advantage  to  the  invalid, 
men  who  can  reel  off  their  ten  miles  beft)rc  dinner  without  inconven- 
ience do  not  disdain  to  avail  themselves  of  the  luxuriant  motion  it  af- 
fords. Strange  to  say,  the  apparently  severe  labor  of  hammock-bearer  is 
prefei'red  by  the  natives  to  any  other  form  of  open-air  work.  Horses 
imported  frotn  abroad,  and  generally  trustworthy,  are  also  used  to  some 
extent,  shod  expressly  for  the  roads  of  Madeira  Mith  spiked  shoes,  which, 
in  travelling  over  some  parts  of  tho  island,  have  to  be  renewed  as  often 
as  once  in  cverv  three  davs.  J3ut  the  character  of  tho  roads,  even  in 
Funchal,  is  so  trying  to  the  nerves  that  many  prefer  the  other  modes  of 
conveyance. 

But  the  coasting-sledgo  of  Funchal  must  claim  pre-eminence  over  all 
known  forms  of  locomotion  except  sailing.  I  know  of  no  other  place 
in  the  world  where  business  men  slide  down  hill  to  their  counting-rooms. 
In  summer  many  gentlemen  reside  in  villas,  which  are  a  continuation 
of  Funchal,  reaching  as  high  up  as  the  Church  of  Xostra  Senhora  do 
Monte,  2000  feet  above  the  sea.  I  rode  up  one  morning  to  breakfast  at 
the  villa  of  the  Austrian  consul,  Signor  JJianchi,  situated  on  a  level  M'ith 
the  Mount  Church.  The  ride  was  up  a  very  precii)itous  incline;  but  the 
horses  were  on  their  mettle,  and  went  up  the  unbroken  ascent  at  full  trot, 
the  muleteers  running  close  behind  :  they  vested  but  once,  and  neither 
hoi*ses  nor  men  showed  shoi'tness  of  wind.  Behind  us,  at  the  end  of 
steep  streets,  stretched  the  ocean,  whose  dim  horizon-line  grew  rapidly 
more  distant  arid  faint  as  we  rose.  On  either  hand  the  road  was  shut  in 
by  high  walls,  overhung  with  a  profusion  of  purple  and  scarlet  flowers, 
which  loaded  the  moist  morning  air  with  ]ierfinne.  The  terraces  above 
were  darkened  by  the  lace- work  of  wavering  light  and  shade  cast  bjf 


MADKIHA. 


10 1 


trellises  siipportiniij  vines  weighted  with  ('lusters  of  Muscatel  irrapes, "  wan- 
ton to  be  plucked."  Ilavini^  partaken  the  ijjenial  hospitality  of  our  liost 
and  hostess,  we  M'alked  aci-oss  the  head  of  a  ravine  to  a  sledge  "stand" 
hy  the  Mount  Church,  and  seated  ourselves  in  a  vehicle  of  Itasket-work, 
fixed  on  wooden  runners,  with  a  cushioned  seat  for  three,  and  a  i)i'ace  for 
the  feet.  The  attendants,  seizing  a  leathern  guiding  thong,  leaped  on  the 
rear  end  of  the  runners  with  one  foot,  gave  the  sledge  a  start,  and  we 
were  off.  "With  the  foot  that  was  free  the  men  (controlled  their  tlviiiir 
sledge  as  a  boy  guides  a  sled,  oidy  with  more  skill.  We  dashed  down 
the  narrow  way  at  a  sjieed  almost  frightful,  but  gloriously  exciting,  going 
around  abru])t  turns  with  a  slide  to  leeward  which  only  the  astonishing 
dexterity  of  the  guides  prevented  from   becoming  a  hazardous  capsize. 


TIIK    MOl'NTAIN    SLKI). 


Soon  the  increasing  number  of  pcoi)le  in  the  street  obliged  us  to  slacken 
our  pace  ;  but  toward  the  end  we  overtO(jk  another  sledge,  and,  ordering 
our  engineer  to  put  on  steam,  away  we  went  again  at  pi'odigious  I'ate. 
gradually  overhauling  the  chase,  until  we  suddenly  turned  into  a  dark 
lane.  The  sled  stopped,  and,  ])resto  !  the  excitenient  was  over ;  but  not 
tlie  memory  thereof.  We  made  something  over  two  miles  in  eight  min- 
utes and  a  half.  The  distance  has  been  done  in  five  minutes,  when,  ear- 
lier in  the  day,  there  was  a  clear  road.  Another  time  I  made  the  descent 
at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  when  all  was  darkness  ahead,  intensified,  if  ])os- 
fiible,  by  the  lantern  we  carried  at  om-  feet.  This  sliding  into  mystery, 
swiftly  slipping  through  impalpable  gloom,  down  apparently  fathomless 
abvsses,  is  wonderfullv  stimulating  to  the  imagination. 

Fimchal  improves  on  accpiaintance.     As  one  grows  familiar  with  its 


H 


'i 


I '  7      i       '. 


102 


TIIK  ATLANTIC    ISLANDS, 


narrow  iind  soiiiowliat  inti'i(!iitc  streets,  he  nipiilly  diseovcrs  objects  of  in- 
terest wliieh  relieve  the  Fanieiiess  ot"  the  iieavy  stone  l)uiUlini;js.  I  never 
was  in  a  town  of  LJ(i,(t()0  inhabitants  so  well  built,  so  cleanly  and  prosper- 
ous, and  so  well  situated,  in  which  architecture  as  an  a-sthetic  art  had 
been  so  entirely  ignored  as  in  I'unchal.  The  Se,  or  cathedral,  is  a  build- 
in'^  of  some  size,  and  its  spire  is  sinMiiounted  by  a  ifilt  globe  symbolizing 
tlie  foi'iner  world-wide  dominion  of  I'ortugal.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
designed  bv  JMattheiis  Fernandez,  one  (»f  the  i^reat  architects  who  con- 
structed  the  famous  church  and  cloisters  of  Hatalha.  The  Se  is  i)leasing 
in  its  general  plan,  while  the  poverty  of  the  founders  probably  prevented 
much  elaboration.  Ihit  the  ceiling  of  the  nave  and  transept,  l)eautifully 
carved  out  of  junipei*,  and  tinted  and  gilded,  deserves  careful  attention. 
'I'he  Church  of  Santa  Clara  is  an  interesting  old  building.  It  contains 
the  grave  of  Zarco,  the  Portuguese  discoverer  of  Madeira. 

On  the  way  to  the  Mount  (.'hurch  is  an  t»hl  dwelling,  whoso  two  front 
windows,  mullioiied  in  stone,  are  suggestive  of  ]\Ioorish  art.  Ihit  if  art 
has  done  little  for  Funchal,  nature  has  done  much  to  atone  for  this.  IVFany 
of  the  solid  but  impretentious  houses  conceal  rare  attractions  within  their 
gates,  revealed  like  magic  to  him  who  stei)s  within,  unjirepared  for  the 
sight,  and  linds  terraced  gardens  overlooking  the  ocean  and  the  mountains, 
and  stocked  with  the  ])rofuse  vegetation  of  two  zones.  The  palm  and 
the  pine,  the  cypress  and  the  magnolia,  the  pomegranate  and  the  banana, 
the  walnut  and  the  guava,  the  a[>i)le  and  the  coft'ee-tree,  the  rose  ap[)le 
and  the  chestnut,  intertwine  their  various  shades  of  perennial  verdure  in 
a  fraternal  end)race  that  seems  to  unite  different  climes  as  in  Eden  ;  while 
the  oleander,  the  fuchsia,  the  geranium,  the  hortensia,  the  bougainvillia, 
the  heliotrope,  the  acacia,  the  jessamine,  and  numerous  other  tlowers  of 
brilliant  hues  and  spicy  odors,  growing  wild  in  vast  quantities,  clamber 
over  trellis  and  wall,  and  blend  their  fi-agrance  from  one  season  to  anoth- 
(!r;  for  on  this  enchanted  isle  neither  the  frosts  of  winter  ni[)  their  buds, 
nor  the  ra<>;e  of  the  doiir-star  fades  their  scarlet  and  blue. 

The  niai'ket-place  of  Funchal  is  also  an  object  of  attraction,  although 
the  many  varieties  of  fruits  and  vegetaljles  dis[)layed  in  its  stalls  do  not 
generally  reach  the  excellence  of  their  native  climes,  excepting  the  grape, 
the  lig,  and  the  strawberry ;  the  latter  lasts  all  summer,  and  is  superior 
in  flavor  to  our  best.  The  peach  is  not  comparable  to  a  good  Jersey 
peach;  apples  and  pears  are  hard  and  tasteless;  but  the  tlavorless  char- 
acter of  the  fruits  of  ^Madeira  nnist  be  owing  chietiv  to  the  little  attention 
l>aid  to  improving  them,  for  agriculture  is  conducted  in  a  prinjitive  man- 
ner, while  the  mildness  of  the  temperature  and  fertility  of  the  arable  soil 


MA1)KI1{A. 


i(»;} 


would  soom  to  offer  tlic  conditions  csstMitial  to  successful  liushaudrv  ;  hut 
it  may  ho  that  this  very  iiiilduuss  is  the  causu  <d"  this  defect  iu  the  veij;e- 
tahle  in'odiictioiis  of  Matleira.  A  sharper  air  in  winter,  a  fiercer  heat  in 
suinnier,  may  ho  necessary  to  coinpleto  oxcollence.  The  oak,  for  (ixainple, 
tlourishes  hero, and  its  loliago  is  perennial;  hut  the  wood  is  soft  and  com- 
paratively valueless. 

Venomous  insects  and  .serj>ejits,  whii;h  are  ono  of  the  scoiu'i:;es  of  the 
tropics,  ai'o  happily  almost   uid\n(»wn  in   Madeira,  with  tlie  e\ce]»tiou   of 


ciii;bcii  uf   nostra   scmioiia   do  montl. 


a  small  species  of  tarantula,  which  is  not  common.  Its  hite,  altliou<;h 
very  painful,  is  not  often  fatal.  I  on(;e  had  an  adventure  with  one  which 
afforded  me  a  little  exciting  sport.  I  was  occupying  at  the  time  a  snuill 
huilding  containing  two  apartments,  standing  alone  in  the  vineyard  he- 
hind  Ilolway's  Hotel — a  very  cosy  little  hox,  where  I  passed  many  a 
pleasant   evening.      From    the   haloony   1   could   overlook   the   lights   of 


III 


i 

'  ,- 

:( 

,[; 

104 


Tin;    AIL  ANTIC   ISLANDS. 


I'^inidial  or  of  the  sliips  .it  uiichor,  and  listen  to  the  iniisii;  of  the  bells 
ht('!iliii<^  up  IVom  the  town,  or  the  re<j;iilur  beat  of  the  surf  on  the  shore. 
Often  the  n[)\vard  rush  of  scores  of  rockets,  blenuini:;  their  red,  blue,  and 
green  stars  with  the  stars  which  spangU;  the  serene  skies,  added  to  the 
interest  of  the  pros[)eet  from  niy  window.  Nt»where  is  there  a  greater 
delight  taken  in  iirewurks  than  in  Madeira.  Every  saint's  day  is  cele- 
brated by  the  exjihtsiun  of  hnn(b'eds  and  thousands  of  nxikets,  and  the 
l)iithdays  of  the  wealthier  citizens  afford  fresh  opportuniticis  fiu-  the  ex- 
plosion of  these  ac'-rial  baubles.  Every  church  in  the  island  has  also  its 
novana,  or  nine  days'/<V<',  and  during  the  whole  nine  days  rockets  are  sent 
up  at  intervals  by  the  score. 

Well,  on  the  evening  in  (jiicstion  I  was  quietly  reading,  absorbed  in 
liyi'on's  tragedy  of  "  Werner,"  when  1  l>ecanie  conscious,  without  know- 
ing exactly  why,  that  there  was  sotncthing  in  the  niidille  of  the  lloor 
\vhich  had  not  been  there  a  moment  before.  On  looking  around,  I  saw 
a  tarantida  deliberately  marching  across  the  roou)  and  coming  towai'd 
me.  Jle  evidently  wanted  my  chair,  and  I  concluded  to  let  him  have 
it.  As  more  light  on  the  sid^ject  was  desii-able,  1  then  went  into  my 
bedro(»m  and  brouirht  out  another  candle.  AVhen  I  returned,  he  was  sit- 
ting  exactly  in  the  centre  of  the  chair  I  had  just  vacated.  The  cushion 
was  scarlet  and  he  was  black,  a  sort  of  velvety  black,  like  a  large  button 
of  that  colt)r.  But  I  coidd  not  stop  to  admire  the  harmony  of  colors,  for 
he  was  closely  watching  my  motions;  and  as  the  tarantula  is  aggressive, 
and  can  jump  several  feet,  he  is  not  to  be  trifled  with.  I  went  after  a 
heavy  walking-club  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  meantime  he  hopped 
on  the  riaj)  of  the  table-cloth  which  was  close  to  the  chair.  This  was  a 
false  move  on  his  part.  Gently  raising  the  end  of  the  cloth  below  him 
with  the  stick,  I  gradually  coaxed  him  on  to  the  top  of  the  table,  which 
was  exactly  where  I  wanted  him.  Quietly  I  removed  everything  off 
the  table,  in  order  to  have  a  clear  field  of  opei'ations.  He  watched  me 
intently  with  his  bright,  intensely  black  bead -like  eyes,  (juickly  turning 
aroimd  to  face  me  every  time  1  moved.  It  was  a  fair  game  on  each  side, 
but  he  did  not  improve  his  opportunities.  When  all  was  ready,  1  took 
up  a  volume  of  Tluskin's  "Modern  Painters" — a  work  which  lias  {)roved 
itself  of  great  weight,  and  has  demolished  more  than  one  reputation — and, 
taking  deliberate  aim,  brought  it  down  with  great  force  on  the  devoted 
tarantula.  W^hen  I  toctk  u\^  the  book  the  creature  was  not  there.  It  was 
now  of  the  last  importance  to  find  out  if  he  had  jumped  on  me.  The 
dark  color  of  my  clothes,  and  the  fact  that  1  cotdd  not  very  well  see  my 
own  back,  made  it  difficult  to  settle  this  satisfactorily  for  some  moments. 


MADKIHA. 


lo: 


Fiirtlici'  poardi,  however,  nliowed  the  tiiriiiitiila  tinder  tlie  p(»fii  in  the 
collier  of  the  I'oom.  I  hurled  the  chih  iit  him,  end  on,  witli  a  fiirv  which 
indented  the  wall,  hut  he  hiisklv  avoided  the  (hinij;er;  and  another  liiiiit 
leveaied  him  under  a  chair,  this  time  thoronuidy  iTi<ijhtened,  it  woidd  seem, 
i'oi'  h(!  allowed  mo  to  lift  the  chair  and  carry  it  away.  Still  coiitident  in 
the  (le.stnietive  jjowers  of  Kiiskin,  I  l)ri»n<^ht  the  volume  down  onec  more 
on  the  tarantula,  and  this  time  his  hack  was  hroken.  I  still  have  faith  in 
Jiiiskin,  at  least  under  certain  eircumstances.  Leaving  th(!  tarantula  on 
the  Held  where  he  had  fjdlcii,  1  then  went  to  Ix'd,  thankful  t<»  feel  that 
1  was  rid  of  a  very  unpleasant  hedfellow.  1  have  known  several  cases 
where  a  tarantula  has  crept  hetween  the  sheets  unhidden. 

The  next  morning  I  arose  and  went  to  look  at  him  ;  he  was  still  there. 
1  returned  to  hed  and  took  another  nap  and  a  cup  of  chocolate.  Ihit 
when  I  looked  for  the  tarantula  a  second  time  1  foimd  that  the  cockroaches 
had  completely  devoured  him,  excepting  the  two  hard,  hlack,  glistening 
eyes,  which  lay  on  the  floor  like  hits  of  p(tlislied  jet. 

]»ut  Funchal  is  not  the  whole  of  Madeira:  it  is,  in  fact,  hut  the  vesti- 
hule  to  scenes  of  greater  interest  and  heauty,  and  it  was  therefore  with 
much  satisfaction  that  I  completed  a  hargain  for  a  hoat- cruise  along 
]»art  of  the  southern  coast.  1  had  a  crew  of  four  stout  fellows,  and  an 
able  boat  provided  with  sail  and  awning.  We  started  about  sunrise,  and 
skirted  cliffs  standing  many  hundred  feet  perpendicularly  above  the  sea. 
richly  colored  with  volcanic  tints,  sometimes  showing  spots  of  ])ure  ver- 
milion infaid  with  burnt  sienna  and  Indian  red.  lieeds  and  tfrass  tjrew 
on  the  ledges,  partially  draiiing  the  nakedness  of  the  precipices  as  a  einct- 
iire  of  leaves  dangles  around  the  tattooed  waist  of  a  Feejee  warrior.  Little 
boys  and  girls  were  barely  discernilde  here  and  there,  skipping  like  goats 
from  ledge  to  ledge  at  dizzy  heights,  gathering  grass  on  these  unpromis- 
ing spots.  Passing  under  the  remarkable  promontory  called  Brazen  Head, 
we  came  to  Atalaya  Kock,  which  rci-embles  a  vast  oak  I'iven  by  a  thunder- 
holt.  We  continually  met  boats  bound  to  Funchal  with  vegetables  and 
firewood,  until,  toward  noon,  we  reached  Santa  Cruz,  where  our  boat  was 
hauled  on  the  beach,  and  I  proceeded  on  a  (juiet  ramble,  finishing  up  with 
dinner  at  the  charming  hotel. 

Santa  Cruz  is  at  the  opening  of  one  of  the  profound  torrent  gorges 
which  are  a  distinguishing  feature  in  every  Madeira  landscape,  and  affords 
some  fine  bits  of  scenery.  A  sail  of  an  hour  from  here  took  us  to  Ma- 
cliieo,  where  the  boat  was  beached,  and  after  some  search  I  obtained  a 
room  in  a  ])rivate  house  for  the  night. 

Anna  Dorset  was  sought  in  marriage,  in  the  days  of  Edward  IIL,  by 


IfI« 


\l 

i 
4 

J 

i 

1 

HI 


.( 


I 


}         ■:V 


lOG 


TIIK  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


Robovt  ISriVcliiii,  a  cjontloiiKUi,  and  tlioy  both  livnl  in  Devon  by  tlic  sea. 
lUit  he  was  of  kiwer  station  than  the  huly — at  one  time,  and,  unfortnnately, 
still  too  often,  the  aceursed  cause  of  nnicli  heartache  and  the  separation 
of  souls  whom  (u)d,  if  not  the  priest,  has  joined.  Her  frit-nds  made 
haste  to  patch  up  a  marriane  between  Anna  and  a  nol)leman,  whose  birth, 
if  not  his  wits,  was  ecpial  to  hci-s.  ]»ut  ]\Iachin — and  who  that  has  ]ov(h1 
can  blanm  him  i — was  not  <  die  stuff  that  can  tamely  submit  to  such 
l)etty  tyranny.  He  persuaded  one  of  his  friends  to  enter  the  service  of 
the  lady's  husband,  and  in  that  capacity  become  her  attendant.  l>y  this 
means  it  was  planned  that  she  should  eloi)e  to  France.  A  i^alley  was 
procured,  and  one  night  the  lady  tied  from  her  lord's  castle,  and  end)aikcd 
with  her  lover  at  IJristol,  forsaking  her  native  land,  never  to  return.  The 
night  was  wild  and  dark  with  thi'eatening  tempests,  but  they  had  no  al- 
ternative but  to  put  to  sea.  Scarcely,  however,  had  they  cleared  the  coast, 
when  a  north-easter  struck  the  vessel  and  forced  them  to  bear  away  before 
it.  Thirteen  days  they  scudded,  and  at  last  made  land — a  sti'ange,  cloud- 
hidden,  unknown,  and  uninhabited  land,  t>ffering  only  tremendous  preci- 
})ices  and  surf-beaten  rocks  on  its  northei'U  coast;  but,  on  rounding  a 
savage  cape,  they  came  to  the  southern  side,  and  there,  at  the  bottom  of 
a  snug  little  bay,  stretched  a  beach,  on  whicl  liey  laiuled,  and  found  them- 
selves in  a  grassy  vale,  well  watered,  musical  with  the  melody  oi  l.tirds 
and  streams,  and  shaded  by  majestic  trees,  seemingly  sheltered  fi'om  the 
boisterous  world  by  lofty  mountains.  Here  Anna  and  her  lover  rested 
three  days — perhaps,  in  each  other's  society,  forgetting  the  land  they  had 
left  behind  and  the  stormy  scenes  which  had  intervened,  and  hoj)ing  that 
in  this  paradise  they  had  at  last  gained  an  asylum  where  they  might  pass 
their  remaining  days  in  peace.  ,l>ut  another  storm  drove  the  galley  to 
sea,  and,  overcome  hy  this  new  calamity,  added  to  her  already  tenible 
suffering  of  body  and  soul,  the  lady  expired.  Five  days  passed,  and  Jiob- 
ert  Machin,  too  faithful  in  his  love,  also  succumbed  to  the  a'lguish  of  these 
accumulated  afflictions,  and  was  buried  at  her  side.  Their  surviving  con>- 
rades  erected  a  cross  over  the  grave  of  the  lovers,  and  then  embarked  in 
a  rudely  constructed  craft  and  were  blown  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  whither 
the  galley  had  already  been  driven,  and  her  crew  reduced  to  slavery  by 
the  Moors.  A  companion  in  their  captivity  was  the  Spaniard  Juan  do 
Morales,  who  was  eventually  ransomed  and  sailed  for  Spain;  but  he  was 
captured  on  the  way  b}'  the  Portuguese  navigator  Joao  (Jonsalez  Zarco, 
who  learned  from  him  the  story  of  Machin  and  Madeira.  Asso^iiating 
Teixera,  an  experienced  pilot,  with  himself,  and  also  taking  Morales,  Zarco 
sailed  in  quest  of  this  island.     The  remains  of  Machin  and  Anna  were 


MADKIHA. 


10^ 


toiiiu]  as  tk'scribcd,  and  a  small  chapel  was  erected  over  them,  which  ex- 
ists to  this  (lav. 

Such  is  the  one  le<jjend  of  ^Fadeira,  a  ti'ai;'edy  replete  with  pathos,  the 
substantial  trntli  of  which  has  heeu  confirmed  by  recent  investiii'ations. 
Machico  and  its  vallev.  named  afte'*  its  ill-fated  discoverer,  seemed  tt)  me 
well  fitted  to  be  the  scene  of  a  storv  so  tender  and  affectiniz;.  The  town, 
once  a  I'ival  to  Fnnchal,  is  now  oidv  a  humble  farmini;  and  lishini'  vil- 
hif^e.  A  few  barefooted,  poverty-stricken  })easants  cultivate  the  terraced 
sides  of  the  valley;  a  few  fishing-boats  lie  on  the  beach;  an  old  fort,  half- 
hidden  by  overhanging  i)lane-trees,  points  the  eobwebbed  nuizzles  of  dis- 
mounted guns  at  fleets  which  pass  at  a  distance  and  aim  at  it  nothing 
fiercer  than  the  lens  of  the  pers[)ective  glass.     The  oidy  garrison  of  this 


II  AM.MDl'K-lllUIMi     IN     MADUIKA. 


grizzly  veteran  of  sieges  and  bombaidments  that  have  never  been  fi)ught 
were  a  whiskered  Portuguese  and  a  jiortly  dame,  apparently  the  guardians, 
possibly  the  parents,  of  a  maichm  wh(»m  I  saw  embroidering  in  one  of  the 
embrasures,  singing  to  herself  and  tapping  an  old  cannon  with  her  foot 
—one  of  the  very  few  really  beautiful  girls  (let  it  be  breathed  in  a  Avhis- 
per)  whom  I  was  privileged  to  see  on  the  island.  Several  ipiintas  are 
scattered  about  the  valley,  and  on  a  spur  projecting  from  the  mountain- 
sides, a  mile  or  two  from  the  shore,  are  the  gray  ruins  of  a  nmniery, 
which  the  abolition  of  convents  throughout  the  Portuguese  dominions  has 
left  rootless  and  desolate.  It  is  supei'bly  situated,  and  eomnninds  at  sunset 
a  prospect  of  surpassing  beauty  and  grandeur. 

The  long  beat  of  the  surf  on  the  shore  lulled  me  to  eai-lv  dreams 
after  a  prime  enp  of  tea  and  a  dish  of  broiled  mullets  just  out  of  the  sea. 


i  1 


!  1- 


I!  :i- 


^ 


^1 


' 

f 

;■ 

1 

1 

lOS 


TIIK   ATLANTIC    ISLANOS. 


The  sliontiiiij  of  tlie  iisliermcn  sturtini:;  on  their  tlaily  trip  to  tlie  fisliiiii;- 
ground  arousod  nic  at  tliree  next  inorninjjj;  and,  after  a  breakfast  the  coun- 
terpart ol  the  meal  vi  the  previous  evening,  ■vve  shoved  off  and  sailed  away 
with  the  morning- star  for  our  bca(!on,  the  dawning  s[)k'ndor  of  ])earl 
and  gold  broadening  in  the  east.  AVe  reached  Fora  Island  about  eight 
o'clock.  This  is  a  bolil  cliff  at  the  extreme  end  of  San  Ltircnzo  Cape, 
over  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  surmounted  by  a  light-house  erected 
but  six  years  since,  which  is  the  onlv  guide  for  the  mariner  to  be  found 
either  in  the  Madeiras  or  the  Azores — a  circumstance  very  disgraceful  to 
Portugal.  The  kee})er  of  the  light-house  and  his  assistant  Melcomed  us 
with  the  cordiality  of  men  whose  social  advantages  are  Crusoenian.  As 
a  dingy,  greasy  copy  of  Camoens's  "Lusiad"  was  the  oidy  sign  of  print 
to  be  seen  on  the  ])remises,  the  mental  resom-ces  of  these  stylites  appeared 
not  less  meagre,  althouijjh  ijood  so  far  as  they  went.  The  Comiecticut 
clock  in  the  entrance-hall  also  indicated  that  these  recluses  took  "no  note 
of  time,"  for  it  was  one  hour  and  thi-ee-qiuirters  slow.  Justice  requires 
me  to  admit  that  the  lantern  itself  is  mounted  in  a  building  admirably 
ada[)ted  to  the  jnu-pose,  and  is  one  of  the  linest  Fi'esnel  lights  on  any 
coast,  revolving  twice  a  minute,  and  visible  thirty  miles  at  sea :  it  is  al:?o 
kept  in  excellent  order. 

Setting  my  easel  on  the  terrace  at  the  summit  of  the  Rock,  I  devoted 
several  hours  to  putting  on  canvas  a  sketch  of  the  Point  and  the  moun- 
tain ranges  in  the  background.  ^Ve  then  lunched,  and  launched  away 
for  Funchal  before  the  fresh  noi'th-east  trade -wind  Mhich  carried  us 
I'apidly  as  far  as  ]Jrazen  Head,  when  a  counter-current  of  air  and  a  calm 
forced  ns  to  lower  our  sail  and  try  a  "  wh'te-ash  breeze."  We  reached 
Funchal  at  sundown,  after  an  excursion  full  of  novel  pleasure  and  inci- 
dent, of  which  the  foregoing  is  but  a  mere  outline. 

On  the  following  Monday  I  made  an  early  start  on  a  wiry  gray  horse, 
and  attended  by  a  burrequiero,o\'  nndeteer,  for  the  ascent  of  Pico  Iluivo, 
the  highest  point  in  Madeira.  As  the  road  to  the  summit  from  the  south- 
ern side,  l)y  way  of  the  Torrinhas  Pass,  was  at  the  time  impi'acticable, 
which  is  saving  much  in  Madeira,  it  was  necessary  to  cross  over  to  Saiit' 
Anna  on  the  northern  side,  and  ascend  from  there — a  very  pleasing  alter- 
native, as  it  proved,  for  it  carried  me  through  some  of  the  finest  scen- 
ery of  the  island.  Dashing  directly  upward,  we  soon  gained  the  Mount 
Church,  and  i)assed  into  the  clouds.  Nor  was  it  long  before  we  reached  a 
cooler  atmosphere  and  a  resting-house  at  an  elevation  of  4500  feet.  Not 
very  far  beyond  M-e  came  up  with  the  lofty  summit  of  Poizo  on  our  right, 
and  the  goi'ge  of  the  Kibeiro  Frio,  or  Cold  River,  a  winding  cafion,  narrow 


M  AUK  IRA. 


100 


and  tlioiipands  of  feet  in  depth,  clothed  with  verdure,  beautiful  with  ex- 
quisite <i;radations  of  li<>;ht  and  shade,  and  festooned  with  hvzy  mist  trailiiii;- 
from  crag  to  crag.  Inunediately  opposite  to  where  we  began  the  descent 
rose  the  central  range  of  the  ishmd,  the  sharj)!}'  pinnacled  group  of  Kuivo, 
Arriero,  Sidrilo,  Torres,  and  Canario;  while  to  the  left  the  ravine  of  the 
liibeira  Metade,  next  to  ,,^gT^^^=^-^-^ 

the  Curral  the  grandest  _^&^3i^FJ^iS^^^^i=, 

gorge  of  Madeira,  lost 
itself  in  the  heart  of  the 
mountains.  The  rajjidi- 
ty  of  the  descent  almost 
took  away  my  breath ; 
but  I  soon  became  sea- 
soned to  anvthinu;  no 
steeper  than  this,  for  the 
whole  road  to  Sant'  Anna 
was  very  much  like  go- 
in<;  over  the  teeth  of  a 
saw  lengthwise.  Mount- 
ing by  zig>:ag  roads  up 
the  sides  of  a  ])erpendic- 
nlar  cliff,  we  would  reacli 
the  ridge  only  to  descend 
at  once  on  the  other  side 
by  a  road  perhaps  more 
precipitous,  where  a  mis- 
step of  the  horse  would 
plunge  the  rider  into  an 
a!)yss. 

Often  we  ]>asscd  the 
peasants  at  work  in  the  — -^ 
fields,  which  in  Madeira 
are  mere  narrow  shelves  on  the  mountain-sides,  which  are  terraced  as 
high  up  as  3000  feet,  involving  an  amount  of  labor  and  climbing  almost 
l)eyond  belief.  So  scant  are  the  level  spacics  that  even  the  threshing- 
lloors  are  often  mere  terraced  platforms  overhanging  the  precipices.  The 
hmgs  of  the  peasantry  must,  1  am  sure,  be  abnormally  developed,  for  men 
and  women  alike  travel  all  day  up  and  down  these  steep  ascents,  bearing 
heavy  loads  on  the  head,  at  much  more  than  the  avernge  pace  of  a  good 
walker  on  a  level  road  in  other  countries,  and  with  no  other  aid  than  a 


VILLAGE    OK    CAMA    DO    LOBOS. 


i'f 


i'! 


i    I 


I 

if 

1 

^^g 

i 

1 

] 

r 

-i 

Ik 

V 

i' 

k 
'1 

^' 

11 

Hi  If 


11    y 


110 


TllK  ATLAMIC   ISLANDS. 


: 


h 


■'w*^ 


A    TIlRESIllNG-FLOOri. 


stout  staff;  and  morrily  tliey  do  it,  too,  without  rtiii;us  <jf  futiijjuo,  and  s\ug;- 
iiig  as  they  i^o.  They  are  a  iiius?ical  race,  chullcniifiiii^  each  other  to  im- 
provise as  they  meet  on 
the  i-oad,  or  chanting 
M'hile  the  oxen  are  tread- 
ing tiie  wlieat ;  but  it  is 
a  verv  lujxubrious  niu- 
sic,  reseiubling  snatches 
of  a  funeral  dirge  very 
dolefully  rendered.  Jt 
is  pleasing  to  the  stran- 
ger chieily  because  it  in- 
dicates a  cheerful,  con- 
tented spirit,  the  practi- 
cal philosophy  of  a  sim- 
]>le-heart(.  people  Avho  live  out  the  celebrated  maxim  about  tlie  folly 
of  exchanging  ignorance  for  wisdom.  To  pra(;tisc  })hilosophy  is  the  lot 
of  those  who  arc  too  ignorant  to  understand  its  meaning ;  to  analyze  and 
preach,  but  not  to  practise  it,  is  the  privilege  of  the  few  whom  tiie  world 
has  seen  fit  to  i-egard  as  saires. 

The  dwellings  of  the  peasantry'  on  the  north  side  of  Madeira  are  gen- 
erally thatched  cabins  rudely  constructed,  having  but  one  room,  divided 
by  partitions  of  matting.  The  people  themselves  are  thrifty,  but  by  no 
means  comparable  \vith  the  Azoreans  in  personal  beauty.  They  have, 
especially  in  the  M'estern  half  of  the  island,  a  large  infusion  of  African 
blood,  for  slavery  once  existed  there.  Their  language  is  a  patois  of  the 
Portuc-nese,  subdivided  into  almost  as  manv  shades  as  there  are  vallev 
parishes  —  a  circumstance  sufficiently  strange,  considering  that  Madeira 
has  an  area  of  ouW  240  square  miles.  They  speak  with  a  shrill  risii'u' 
inflection  and  a  plaintive,  pleading  tone,  which  gives  a  ludicrously  pa 
thetic  character  to  the  merest  gossip  or  idle  l)aiiter. 

Cultivation  is  largely  dependent  on  iri-igation,  for  while  Madeira  is 
not  destitute  of  streams  running  at  all  seasons,  the  M'ater,  at  its  sources, 
falls  from  great  heights  to  the  bottom  of  the  ravines  which  radiate  from 
tlie  central  mountain  group,  and,  as  the  arable  land  is  almost  entirely 
along  the  sides  of  these  ravines,  the  water  would  seem  unavailable;  l)ut 
tlie  problem  has  been  solved  by  the  display  of  considerable  daring  and 
engineering  skill.  The  streams  are  tapped  far  up  near  their  sources,  and 
diverted  into  levadas,  or  channels,  averaging  fifteen  inches  in  width,  mean- 
dering along  the  vertical  sides  of  stupendous  precii)ices,  and  by  easy  gra- 


MADEIRA. 


Ill 


(liitions  conrsiiin;  l»y  all  the  gardens  and  {crracos  of  tlie  island.  Si.xteen 
hours  ill  every  forty  days  are  allowed  eaeh  landholder  for  the  use  of 
the  current  dashina,-  past  his  ijrounds,  and  he  must  he  ready  to  avail 
himself  of  it  whenever  notified  that  his  turn  has  come  ;  so  that  it  is  a 
very  comnioii  eireumstaiuie  to  see  a  man  in  his  i>'arden  at  midniii;ht  irro])- 
inj:;,  i>;lowworiii  -  like,  anionic;  the  heds  with  hoe  and  lantern.  One  of 
tli'-se  currents  is  drawn  from  the  cataract  of  Ilahaciil,  where  one  mav  sec; 
aecomplislk'd  one  of  the  most  dariiiij;  enyineerini;  feats  of  the  age.  The 
water-fall  is  on  the  north  side,  and  has  a  sheer  descent  of  l(Mi()  feet  at 
the  head  of  a  narrow  <i;ori>;e ; 
for  a  lari^e  part  of  the  year 
it  is  rather  a  meaii;re  stream 
slippincj  down  the  side  of  the 
cliff.  The  curtiiiii  which  here 
divides  the  northern  and  sonth- 
ei'ii  slopes  is  hut  14:(M)  f(>et 
thick ;  and  a  native  of  the 
island,  an  officer  of  eiiiiineers, 
conceived  the  idea  of  catchin_<>" 
the  water  in  its  descent,  and 
hy  a  tunnel  conductini^  it  to 
the  south  side,  where  it  was 
most  needed.  To  accomplish 
the  undertaking,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  workmen  to  lower 
themselves  from  the  edge  of 
the  ])recipice,  and  thus,  sus- 
pended in  the  air  by  .o])es 
•iOO  feet  from  the  ahv.is  he- 
low,  and  constantly  drenched 
hy  the  cataract,  these  nnre- 
(!orded  heroes  labored  at  their 
fearful  task.  When  blasting, 
tliey  would  swing  out  and  lay 
hold  of  a  bush  or  a  crag^  and 
thus  await  the  explosion.  A 
nuinber  were  killed  before  the 
work  was  completed.  At  last 
a  trench  was  excavated  in  the  hard  rock  of  the  cliff,  l)y  which  means 
part  of  the  water-fall  was  intercepted  and  conducted  to  the  tunnel  bored 


A    GUIST-MII.L. 


! 

\   \ 


■'T 


112 


TllK   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


,1 


i :; 


through  the  inonntain,  mid  thus  rcHliiccd  to  service.  It  is  the  old  story 
over  again  of  Pegasus  curbed  and  harnessed  to  the  plough. 

The  parish  of  Saiit'  Anna  is  a  large,  straggling  village  sj)reading  over 
a  plateau  somewhat  less  broken  than  the  ridges  over  which  1  had  been 
ri<ling.  As  I  entered  its  limits,  the  road  became  wider  and  less  i)recip- 
itous,  often  ovei'arched  with  interweaving  shade-trees,  presenting  nuiny  de- 
licious nooks,  with  here  and  there  a  picturesque  grist-mill  overgrown  with 
ivy  and  moss  eidivening  the  still  air  with  its  chattering.  The  thatched 
huts  were  also  very  })leasiiig,  embowered  in  the  foliage  of  chestnut  and 
bay  trees  clasped  by  the  creci)ing  arms  of  grape-vines,  and  enclosed  by 
hedges  of  fuchsia  and  geranium  growing  in  rank  profusion.  About 
3  V.U.,  I  alighted  at  the  hospitable  gate  of  Senhor  Acciaoly,  mine  host 
of  the  Sant'  Anna  Hotel,  as  well  as  the  respected  mayor  of  the  parish. 
Affable  in  his  address,  he  has  in  his  day  entertained  many  strangers  from 
abroad  who  have  sought  the  island  for  health,  science,  or  ])leasure.  On 
the  pages  of  the  hotel-book  are  the  autographs  of  Commodore  Hull,  Sir 
Charles  Lyell,  and  other  celebi'ities.  The  hotel  is  on  the  brow  of  a  preci- 
])ice  1100  feet  above  the  sea.  From  its  windows  may  be  seen  Ruivo  to 
the  south,  and  in  the  foreground  to  the  eastward  the  pointed  peak  of 
Courtado,  which  has  a  sheer  descent  of  2000  feet  to  the  surf  that  dashes 
below.  I  found  myself  rapidly  becoming  accustomed  to  look  at  the  most 
tremendous  precipices  with  the  familiarity,  but,  1  trust,  not  the  indiffer- 
ence, of  those  native  to  the  soil. 

It  rained  hard  during  the  night,  and  the  next  morning  the  mountains 
were  concealed  in  compai^t  masses  of  cloud,  to  the  last  degree  unpromis- 
iiii;  of  clear  weather  on  the  heights.  To  undertake  the  ascent  of  lluivo 
on  that  day  seemed  a  hopeless  task.  But,  about  nine,  the  clouds  began  to 
roll  up  a  little,  and,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  all,  most  especially  of  jny 
grumbling  muleteer,  who  did  not  care  to  make  the  trip — and  I  did  not 
blame  him — I  decided  that,  at  any  rate,  no  harm  could  come  from  try- 
ing, while  we  might,  by  a  bare  possibility,  succeed  in  obtaining  the  view 
desired.  I  had  not  come  so  far  to  give  up  without  at  least  makiug  an 
attempt  to  scale  the  inountain  citadel  of  JNfadeira.  A  guide  from  Sant' 
Anna  accompanied  us.  Part  of  the  way  we  had  a  steep  cattle-path,  but 
the  rain  had  made  it  very  slippery,  and  the  panting  horse  had  to  be  urged 
hard  up  the  rapid,  crooked  inclijies,  in  order  to  hold  his  footing,  and,  after 
a  while,  not  even  a  bridle-path  was  to  be  seen,  but  he  had  to  pick  his  way 
carefully  from  crag  to  crag.  The  fog,  in  the  mean  time,  was  so  thick 
that  nothing  was  visible  beyond  the  ground  we  trod  on.  It  was  often 
accompanied  by  he.    y  showers,  and  the  guide  strongly  urged  our  return, 


8 


! 


MADKIUA. 


118 


but,  dotcnnined,  at  least,  to  staiul  on  tlie  suininit  of  Jiuivo,  1  kojit  on. 
An  isolated  row  oi  basaltic  colmmis,  joined  in  a  <>:i<:;antie  wall,  served  to 
shelter  ns  from  the  drivinic  I'ain  as  we  rested  at  noon,  and  somewhat  dis- 
consolately discussed  our  cold  chicken  and  wine.  Occasionally,  tantaliz- 
ing glimpses  of  ragged  cliffs  and  gorges  ai)[)eared  in  the  gray  mist  only 
to  disap})ear  in  a  twiidvling.  An  hour  later  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
horse  with  the  huri'equiei'o^  and,  with  the  gui(h',  climb  the  remainder  of 
the  way  on  foot.  Passing  through  a  cleft  in  the  ridge,  we  gradually  as- 
cended the  precipitous  sides  of  liuivo,  threading  a  tortuous  i>ath  among 
enormous  heath-trees  of  a  hoar  anticpiity,  dating,  perhaps,  beyond  the 
dawn  of  history.  Weird  beyond  description  did  these  antediluvians  ap- 
pear in  the  ghostly  folds  of  the  dripping  mist,  their  limbs  and  trunks  vio- 
lently distorted  and  convoluted  in  multitudinous  grotes(pie  sha[)es,  as  if 
here  the  Dryads  and  Ma'nads  had  heard  the  cry,  "(ii'eat  Pan  is  dead!" 
and  had  been  suddenly  lixed  while  writhing  in  the  desi)airing  agonies 
of  dissolution. 

At  length  the  last  rock  was  surmounted,  and  the  guide  impressively 
said — at  least  it  sounded  impressive  to  me — "Pico  Ruivo!"  We  stood 
02' /O  feet  above  the  ocean.  Put  clouds  were  overhead  and  beneath  us 
and  around  ns.  Nothing  but  opaque  masses  of  cloud,  frantically  driven 
past  us  by  an  angry  wind,  fiore  as  if  directly  from  the  frozen  north, 
(ylosely  wrai)ped  in  my  overcoat,  I  waited  anxiously  for  some  break  in 
the  clouds  that  would  at  least  partially  repay  me  for  the  trouble  of  the 
ascent.  Half  an  hour  went  by,  and  I  was  about  to  descend,  when,  far 
l)elow,  the  clouds  seemed  to  grow  thin,  and  the  shoulder  of  a  peak  was 
seen  coyly  appearing.  After  this,  glimpses  of  the  landscape  became  quite 
frei^uent;  then,  of  a  sudden,  as  if  a  curtain  had  been  withdrawn  at  a  sig- 
nal, the  clouds  parted  above,  revealing  the  clear  sky  intensely  blue,  and, 
at  t'  same  instant,  Ruivo  and  its  group  of  Titanic  companions  uncovered 
then"  heads  and  came  forth  in  all  their  majesty,  heightened,  'f  possible, 
by  the  mantles  of  cloud  which  gathered,  fold  on  fold,  in  the  gorges,  deep- 
ening bv  contrast  the  alorv  of  the  snnli<>:ht  which  illumined  the  thunder- 
scarred  faces  of  the  upper  cliffs,  then  suddenly  seized  by  the  gusts  that 
swept  through  the  passes,  surging  upward  in  curling,  roseate  columns  like 
the  steam  arising  from  a  vast  caldron  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Around 
Ruivo  towered  Sidrao, Torres,  Torrinhas,  yVrriero,  Canario,  and  P'"o  (Iraiule, 
at  an  elevation  of  from  5500  to  over  (3000  feet,  all  within  a  r  *  of  three 
miles,  and  cloven  to  their  bases  by  ravines  of  stupendous  depth.  Around 
the  angle  of  the  vertical  wall  of  Torres,  the  gorge  of  the  Grande  Cnrral 
das  Fi'eiras  was  partially  visible;  to  the  south-east  rose  the  Lamoceiros 

8 


PI  « 


114 


Tin:    ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


HI 


f  ^  i 


I  ■ 


t  1 1 


i 


■4 


I'ass  and  Poiilia  d'Aijuia;  in  tlio  nmtli,  tlio  Aito  of  Sao  Jorgo  ;  and  around 
all,  only  tivo  miles  distant,  north  or  south,  rolled  the  oeean,  ai>i)eaiiuij 
dark  sappliiio  through  rifts  in  tlio  tumultuous  array  of  (rlouds  which  seemed 
let  loose  in  aerial  hattle  over  its  a[)[)arently  houndless  surface;  for  the 
horizon -line  often  Mend  d  with  the  sky,  and  soared  far  up  toward  the 
zenith.  Aloni,  the  verge  of  ocean,  clouds  reposed  in  ranks,  gleaming  pure 
as  beaten  gold,  and  resend)ling  icehergs  at  the  pole.  Never  have  I  gazed 
upon  a  scene  e<pialling  in  sul)limity  that  awful  and  ovei'i)o,vering  spectta- 
cle  from  the  sunnnit  of  liuivo— a  scene  to  mould  the  character  and  stamp 
its  memory  on  the  soul  forever. 

How  long  I  should  have  remained  riveted  to  that  spot  entranced  I 
caimot  tell,  if  the  clouds  had  not  closed  over  it  as  suddeidv  as  tliov  ha<} 
opened,  and  in  an  instant  all  again  became  gray  and  dim,  as  if  what  I  had 
just  gazed  upon  were  but  the  wild  vision  of  a  brain  steeped  in  the  subtle 
fumes  of  opium. 

On  the  following  niornin<>:  I  was  airain  in  the  saddle  foi-  Funchal,  re- 
turning  by  way  of  the  Lamocciros  Pass.  Fn^m  the  smiling  ])latoau  of 
ISant'  Anna  we  dived  into  a  narrow  but  beautiful  valley,  where;  culture 
and  natui'c  held  united  sway,  and  then  scaled  the  steep  side  of  Conrtado. 
At  the  summit,  I  checked  the  horse  to  gaze  over  the  superb  scenes  we  had 
just  traversed  ;  then,  turning  Ids  head,  I  passed,  without  warning,  through 
a  cut  in  the  razor-like  summit  of  the  ridge,  and  came  with  startling  sud- 
denness upon  the  edge  of  a  precipice  falling  2000  feet,  with  the  ocean 
directly  below,  but  so  far  down  that  the  roar  of  the  surf  reached  the  up- 
per air  like  the  echo  of  voices  long  missed  l)ut  still  ringing  faintly  in  the 
memory.  The  effect  was  j)recisely  as  if  one  were  to  open  a  door  to  step 
from  one  room  to  another  at  the  top  of  his  house,  and  be  arrested  on  the 
sill  by  finding  himself  stepping  into  space,  and  the  half  of  his  house  |)ros- 
trate  at  his  feet.  IJeforc  us  rose  the  rock  of  Penha  d'Aguia,  or  Eagle's 
Evrv,  a  cube  of  volcanic  stone  hiii'h  as  (Gibraltar,  on  all  sides  nearly 
perpendicular,  and  projecting  into  the  sea,  where  three  canons  (the  Ri- 
beira  Secco,  the  Ilibeira  INIetade,  and  the  liibeira  Frio)  converge  and 
unite  their  torrent  streams.  On  one  side  of  the  Penlia  is  the  villag3  of 
Faial ;  on  the  other,  Porto  do  Cruz — each  on  a  snuiU  bay,  almost  inac- 
cessible, however,  as  a  harbor,  owing  to  the  vast  rollers  -which  tmnble 
in  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Froin  Conrtado  Peak  to  P'aial  the  zigzag 
road  was  paved  with  small  triangular  stones  along  the  face  of  the  cliff, 
but  it  was  very  narrow  and  frightfully  steep;  in  fact,  the  steepest  road 
in  the  world  attempted  on  horseback,  and  entirely  unprotected  by  a  para- 
pet.    Gradiuilly  picking  our  way  down  to  Faial  and  across  the  stony  bed 


fl 


MADF.I'IA. 


115 


of  tlio  tliroo  torroTits  around  tlio  l)iisi.  of  tlio  Ponlia  d'Aujnia,  wo  cauio  to 
the  romantic  villat>;e  of  I'orto  do  Cruz,  after  i.;liiMl)ini^  n  hit  of  road  so 
stcoj)  and  broken,  it  was  only  by  severe  and  constant  aj  plication  of  the 
■\vhi|)  that  the  horse  was  kept  on  his  feet,  wliile  the  rider  kjaned  well  for- 
ward to  retain  his  seat,  and  tnojnentarily  exi)cctcd  a  dan<>;erous  fall. 

Fnjin  this  village  to  the  Lanioceiros  Pass  was  a  steady,  rapid,  zigzai; 
ascojit  of  '2300  feet,  but  the  road  was  wider  and  in  bcttcM-  order.  A  water- 
fall, fiashinii;  down  the  mountain-side  near  the  road,  added  <j;reatly  to  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  ])rosi)ects  in  Madeira.  After  gaining  the  l\'iss, 
we  turned  to  the  south  side  of  the  ishmd,  across  the  head  of  the  valley 
of  ^lachico,  descendiiii";  into  the  gi'een  recesses  of  a  glcn  upon  whose  lush 
grasses  the  Lotus-eaters  might 
repose  content,  and  dream  years 
awav,  hdled  by  the  carol  of 
streams  wandering  under  the 
rustling  foliage  of  aspen,  laurel, 
aiul  chestnut  trees.  We  limch- 
ed  by  a  brook-side,  and,  clind)- 
ing  again,  reached  the  elevated 
table -land  of  the  Santa  Serra, 
overgrown  with  broom,  and  en- 
tirely different  from  the  scenerv 
we  had  been  traversing.  After 
a  while  wo  came  again  to  dee[) 
ravines,  and  ascending  and  de- 
scending, and  deviously  wend- 
ina:,*  the  usual  mode  of  travel 
in  ]\radeira.  came  to  the  village  of  Camacha,  where  the  charming  villas 
gaze  on  the  ocean  far  below,  through  the  branches  of  chestuut-groves.  I 
afterward  spent  two  months  in  Camacha,  and  (!an  truthfully  recommeiul 
it  as  one  of  the  most  delightful  summer  residences  in  the  world,  and  the 
nearest  approach  to  an  ideal  paradise  I  have  ever  seen.  Farther  on, 
Funchal,  gleaming  like  pearl  in  the  slant  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  burst  on 
our  view,  thousands  of  feet  below,  A.t  this  point  1  found  a  sledge  station, 
and  dashed  down  to  the  city,  over  three  miles,  in  Hfteen  mimites. 

Another  excursion,  oftener  made  than  any  other,  because  more  acces- 
sible, is  the  trip  to  the  (iraiule  Curral.  The  last  time  I  visited  it  I  M-as 
en  route  to  San  Vincente,  and  as  parts  of  the  road  to  be  traversed  are  un- 

*  ' kvavTa  Karavra  napavra  re  ^iJ^/'ia. — Iliad,  xxiii. 


rKASAM>     111   1     AM)     I'KASANTS. 


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TIIK    ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


travelled  hy  horses,  I  took  a  liaimiiock.  The  hiimniock  was  stretelieil  on 
a  pole,  and  shaded  at  th^'  head  hy  a  eaiiopy.  The  ends  of  the  pole  re.^ti'd 
ohli(|uely  on  the  shoulders  of  two  stont  hearers,  who  started  (»ff  at  a  swing- 
ing pa(!e  hetween  a  walk  iind  a  trot,  which  was  kept  np  most  of  the  dis- 
tance to  the  Cnrral,  not  less  than  ten  miles,  with  a  rest  once  jn  three  miles 
at  a  ?'t'/<</(^  when  iijxnir  hoiri'  was  expected  and  sometimes  obtained.  The 
men  showed  little  siu'ii  of  fatigue,  althoiiirh,  lil<e  all  Madeira  roads,  this 
was  always  nj)  and  down  steep  grades.  Soon  after  leaving  the  limits  of 
Funchal  wc  canu;  in  sight  of  the  village  of  (vama  do  Lohos  and  (  aho  (ii- 
ram,  a  vertical  (dift  2 185  feet  high,  bathing  its  feet  in  the  sea  M'aves.  It  is 
the  loftiest  sea  clilY  in  the  woi'ld.  Leaving  this  on  our  left,  we  entered 
the  Estreito  district,  which  is  virtually  the  wine-growing  district  of  Madei- 
ra,  the  slopes  being  densely  covered  with  vines  trained  on  trellises  whii-h 
often  overarch  the  road.  The  little  wine  raised  on  the  north  side  and  at 
Porto  Santo  is  of  inferior  (piality,  and  is  changed  into  brandy,  which  is 
mi.xed  with  the  best  Madeira.  The  vine  was  tirst  introduced  into  the  inl- 
and from  Cyi)rns  in  14:25,  and  the  red  volcani(r  soil  gave  it  a  Ihivor  which 
brought  it  into  rapid  repnte.  The  Shakspearian  student  will  remendjer 
I'oins's  allusion  to  it  when  he  says  to  Falstaff ,  "  Jack,  how  agrees  the  devil 
and  thee  about  thv  soul,  that  thou  soldest  him  on  Good-Fridav  last  for 
a  cup  of  madeira  I"  Until  1852  this  noble  wine  continued  to  si)arkle  on 
the  board  of  those  whose  cellars  contained  the  rarest  wines.  In  that  year 
the  yield  was  about  20,0(K>  pipes;  then,  without  warning,  a  blight — a  fun- 
gus on  the  plant  and  fruit,  called  the  o'tdcwn  Tucheri — made  its  appear- 
ance, and  in  1S53  the  yield  fell  to  100  pipes!  This  has  continued  until 
Mithin  twelve  years.  The  suffering  resulting  from  the  sudden  collapse  of 
the  wealth-bearing  resources  of  the  island  was  beyond  computation.  Af- 
ter a  while  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane  restored  a  j»ortion  of  ^Madeira's 
lost  prosperity.  Still  later,  a  way  was  found  of  counteracting  the  si)read 
of  the  blight,  and  partially  resuming  the  ju'oduction  of  wine.  This  is 
done  by  blowing  the  powder  of  sulplim-  flowers  over  both  vine  and  grapes, 
a  very  laborious  process,  as  may  be  easily  imagined.  Madeira  wine,^>a/' 
excellence,  is  made  from  the  mixture  of  grapes  dark  and  white,  and  from 
a  light  claret  color  gradually  pales  into  a  to})az  hue  of  surpassing  richness. 
Four  other  sorts  are  also  produced — Malmsey,  liual,  Sercial,  and  Tinta, 
all  excellent.  The  first  is  too  well  known  to  recpiire  further  mention ;  the 
last  from  the  Lurgundy  grape,  is  a  mild,  red  wine. 

From  the  Estreito  district  our  hannnock-bearers  gayly  swung  us  from 
height  to  height,  under  the  shade  of  ancient  chestnut  forests.  At  noon 
we  reached  the  edge  of  the  woodland,  and  a  few  rods  of  steep  climbing 


MADKIUA. 


11 


l>nnii,Hit  ns  pikMoiiIv  \o  \\h\  l»i-iiik  of  !i  li.asiii  of  appiillini;  doptli.  Wo 
Htood  ((11  the  ('(life  (»f  tlio  (ti'iiiidc  Cun'iil  <l!l^^  I'lvinis,  iiiid  <;!i/('<l  iij)uii  oiu- 
of  the  most  fiiihliiMO  liindsfupi's  on  tlio  fiicc  of  the  ijjloht'.  TIk;  form  of 
tlic  valley  ut  once  Hiiirujcsts  u  crater,  hut  lyeoloi^ists  assure  us  that  fiueli  is 
not  its  (•liaraeter.  The  liottoiii  of  the  i;<»i'iri-  i^  2500  feet  al)ovo  the  sea- 
level,  wliihs  the  avoraije  height  of  its  verti<!al  sides  is  ftver  L^ooii  fcot.  At 
tli(^  north-eastern  ojid  are  i;roU|)ed  Uuivo.  Torres,  Sidrfio,  Canari(».  and  Tor- 


IKMIA    11  A(U  lA. 


rinhas,  I'ising  nearly  4000  feet  above  the  torrent  mIiIcIi  courses  along  the 
bottom  of  the  canon  and  sli[)S  away  to  the  sea  throui!:h  a  cleft  too  narrow 
to  permit  of  a  road.  The  rairijcd  rid<;cs  and  needle-like  pimiacles  towei-ed 
rosy-ved  af»;ainst  a  sky  of  an  azure  far  deeper  than  is  seen  in  our  climate. 
In  the  centre  of  the  (^urral,  on  a  small  jijreen  plateau,  stands  the  white 
('hm'ch  of  Nosti-a  Senhora  de  I.ivramente,  sm-roi. tided  by  the  thatched 
i-oofs  of  a  handet,  a]ipearin<»;  at  that  depth  like  mites.  Of  less  extent 
than  the  Yosemite,  the  Curral  scarcelv  yields  to  that  in  actual  grandeur. 


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Tlir,   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


TIi('r(!  is  tlio  siiiiu!  iil)ni|itii('s.s  (tf  |»ri'ciiii('(',  tin;  saiiu!  iiii|>rossivo  8nl)liiMitv 
in  tliu  <j;roin»iiii!;  (tf  peaks,  to  prodiKu!,  within  a  nainjw  compass,  an  ovcr- 
powcrin!^  etl'uct ;  tin;  inassin:;-  of  lij^lit  and  slnulo  is  perhaps  snperior, 
prcsentini;  contrasts  of  terrific  stren«;th  as  cliffs  project  into  s|)ace  rnihlv 
us  livinij  lis  in  the;  l»hi/.e  of  >  miset,  while  the  ravines  recede  into  nn- 
fatlionnil)le  depths  of  Tartarean  tnvsterv  and  ^'looni.  The  local  colorinji' 
is  also  varied  and  rich,  alVordint^  the  artist  not  oidy  c/iidro-osriiro  and 
form,  bnt  als(t  color,  the  musical  or  emotional  element  in  landscape. 

From  this  spot  we  proceeded  somewhat  over  a  liiile  farther,  nntil  wo 
conld  look  into  the  f;ori;e  (d'  the  Serra  d'Aj^oa,  which,  in  the  form  of  a 
riii,'ht  aiiiilc,  runs  from  the  Ciirral  to  the  soa,  and  is  but  little  inferior  to 
it  in  snldimity.  \v  indint;  alon«^  u  narrow  dike,  which  separates  the  two 
jj;orij;es,  \\v.  came  to  a  place  where  the  dividing-  rock  was  not  t)ver  twen- 
ty feet  wi(U',  On  either  side  was  a  chasm  not  less  than  2000  feet  deep. 
Amoni;-  8o  many  astonishinj;'  views  it  is  ditVicidt  to  select  the  finest;  hut 
after  surveying  about  every  strikiini;  ])rospect  in  Madeira,  1  am  inclined 
to  thiidv,  cxcei)ting  the  view  from  Ruivo,  that  this  one  is  the  most  impres- 
sive; and  as  few  travellers  ever  go  beyond  the  first  halt  on  the  edife  of  the 
C'urral,  1  most  heartily  advise  them  to  push  on  a  little  farther,  to  the  dike, 
and  to  the  rock  called  "  I'occha  dos  Inamorados,''  in  sj)ite  of  the  remon- 
strances of  the  hammock- bearers.  !Skirtin<>-  the  peritendicular,  streamy 
sides  of  Pico  Grande,  we  descended  into  the  I'omantic  recesses  of  the 
iSerra  d'Aijoa,  densely  wooded  with  primeval  forests  of  the  g-rutesque 
anil  dusky  ti/,  which  is  found  only  on  this  island  and  the  Canaries.  The 
forms  and  ifronjiing-  of  the  castellated  peaks,  as  seen  from  the  veiifla, 
uhere  we  halted  for  a f/oa  dientc,  is  extraordinarily  beantifid.  From  here 
W'G  a<i;ain  scaled  the  ridge  which  separates  the  northern  and  southern  sides, 
and,  almost  falling  down  the  steej)  slojtes  of  the  Pico  das  Freiras,  plunged 
into  the  valley  of  San  Vincente,  the  finest  of  the  cultivated  gorges  of  the 
island.  It  is  of  considerable  length,  and  the  sun  liad  already  robed  the 
regular  bastions,  30U0  feet  high,  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  valley,  in  golden 
light,  and  shronded  the  walls  of  the  Paul  de  Scrra,  5000  feet  high,  on 
the  oi)posite  side,  in  purple  gloom,  as  we  passed  from  stream  to  stream, 
and,  amidst  the  mingled  music  of  peasant-girls  and  cascades,  arrived  at 
the  inn.  The  building  stood  on  the  edge  of  a  natural  terrace,  in  the  cen- 
tre of  a  valley  whose  loveliness  beggars  all  description.  On  thi'ee  sides 
the  closely  grouped  mountains  enclosed  this  idyllic  spot  with  a  tremendous 
forest-clad  wall  crowned  at  one  end  by  the  pinnacle-like  Pico  das  Freii'as, 
soaring  to  a  height  of  GOOO  feet.  Numerous  streams  trii){)ed  their  nnisical 
jom-ney  down  this  magical  valley,  Avhile  on  the  fourth  side  the  ocean  was 


MADIJKA. 


IIU 


Been  close  at  liaiul,  tlii(»iii'li  a  irate-wav  in  the  iiKiiiiitain  hiiiTier,  tumltlini' 
for  uveriiiore  on  tlit;  Ih'HcIi  witli  tli(!  ccaseU'SS  siu'l'  of  the  trade-winds,  luitl 
eliiintin<;  a  tlnnidcroiis  monotone,  8uiilinie  and  seeniini;ly  as  eternal  as 
time.  My  room  ctverlooked  the  mountains  and  the  sea.  Tlie 'tloor  was 
covered  with  beans  spread  out  to  drv,  but  the  sheets  of  the  bed  were  clean 
and  scented  with  rose  lea\es  laid  between  them,  remindinj^  mo  of  1/aak 
Walton's  J'leak  Hall,  where  the  iiiu'U  was  scentcsd  with  lavender.  iSnt 
the  landlord  was  half  fool,  half  knave,  and,  like  s(»me  men  of  that  descrip- 
tion in  other  comitries  who  i^et  otllcc-,  was  also  ro/'rcijidor.  His  wife  en- 
deavored, with  well-meant  politeness,  to  make  up  for  what  was  lackin::;  in 
tht!  character  of  landlord  and  jtrovisions.  The  latter  con>isted  chietly  of 
chickens  dressed  uj*  in  various  fashions,  all  etpuilly  tastelc's.  Like  most 
of  the  [xtultry  served  up  to  tourists  in  Madeira  outside  of  Funchal,  the 
chickens  aforesaid  had  hai'diy  learned  to  peep  before  they  foiiml  them- 
selves in  the  soup-tureen.  But  the  tea  was  good,  as  it  generally  is  when 
prepared  by  the  I'ortuijuese. 

The  next  niorniniif  we  were  off  for  Seixal.  Proceeding  down  the  val- 
ley of  San  V'incente,  we  reached  the  sht»re  through  a  narrow  passage  be- 
tween lava  cliffs,  and  for  a  mile  or  two  kept  (,»n  a  level  with  the  sea;  then 
the  road  assumed  another  chara(!ter.  The  northern  coast  of  Madeira  is 
lor  the  most  part  a  per))endicular  cliff,  divided  here  and  there  by  ravines, 
and  occasioiiallv  ])resentini;  a  narrow  shelf  at  the  base.  ?Sotliin<jr  like  a 
sandy  beach  is  anywhere  to  be  seen.  Until  within  ten  years,  Seixal  coidd 
oidy  be  reached  by  perilous  goat-paths  over  the  mountains,  or  by  boats  in 
summer-tin)e.  Uut  the  road  we  i)assed  over  has  been  more  recently  hewn 
by  pickaxe  and  gunpowder  out  of  solid  rock  in  the  vertical  face  of  the 
cliifs,  at  an  average  height  of  150  feet  above  the  sea,  while  the  precijtice 
towers  numy  hundred  feet  above.  The  road  we  found  wholly  without  a 
]>arapet,  and  rarely  over  five  feet  wide;  in  some  places,  between  three  and 
four  feet  only.  (Jccasionally  we  came  to  a  water-fall  having  a  plunge  of 
lOOO  feet  or  more,  and  the  road  was  then  tunnelled  under  the  cascade. 
J  confess  to  an  "awesome  feeling''  when  we  (;amo  to  an  angle  in  the 
road  so  abrupt  that  the  hammock-bearers  stood  on  opj)osite  sides,  while 
the  lianmiock  actnalh'.  and  without  exaggeration,  hung  in  mid-air  over 
the  surf  which  thundered  far  below.  After  that  I  concluded  to  get  out 
and  walk.  Several  fatal  accidents  have  occurred  hero.  The  road  was 
interrupted  by  the  Ribeira  do  Inferno,  a  highly  romantic  gorge,  and  then 
continued  of  the  same  character  several  miles  farther  to  Seixal.  After 
lunching  on  the  porch  of  the  village  church,  which  commands  a  glori- 
ous prospect  of  land  and  sea,  we  returned  to  San  Yincentc  for  the  night, 


^^.i 
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120 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


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mm 


and  started  next  moniiiij;  for  Fujiclial  hv  wav  of  Poiita  Dclirada  and 
Sunt'  Anna,  aloiii'  the  sea.  Miieli  of  the  road  on  tliis  dav  resembled  the 
road  to  Seixal,  never  (piite  so  narrow,  however,  and  generally  protected 
hy  a  low  parai)et,  so  that  it  is  passable  by  horses;  bnt  it  is  nuich  higher, 
and  at  Boa  Ventura  springs  suddenly  to  the  height  of  near  1000  feet,  and 
one  innst  have  a  cool  head  when  he  looks  over  upon  the  ocean  below. 

Another  most  delightful  trij)  is  to  Calheta,  the  Rabayal  (already  al- 
luded to),  and  Ponto  Pargo,  at  the  western  end  of  the  island.  One  can 
make  the  excursion  entirely  by  land;  but  it  is  well,  at  lf^';^t,  to  go  one  way 
by  -water,  in  order  fully  to  realize  tlie  tremendous  height  of  Cabo  Giram, 
and  to  see  some  of  the  remarkable  volcanic  rocks  of  the  southern  coast. 
One  should,  however,  be  careful  to  choose  the  weather,  and  have  reliable 
boatmen,  as  it  is  impossible  to  land  anywhere  if  it  should  blow  fresh  from 
the  southward.  At  liibeira  Brava  1  was  obliged  to  hxlge  in  a  ])eapant's 
luit ;  but  the  view  of  the  sunset  from  that  spot  toward  Ponte  de  Sol  is 
well  worth  the  sacriticic.  On  my  return,  with  a  rashness  which  cannot  be 
recommended,  1  started  from  Calheta  with  the  wiiul  blowing  from  south- 
west, and  a  high  surf  rolling  on  the  beach;  but  we  hoped  the  wind  would 
moderate  toward  mid-day.  It  did  exactly  the  opposite.  There  was  noth- 
ing to  be  done  but  to  run  before  it  utuler  a  rag  of  canvas,  the  whole  rug- 
ged coast  everywhere  presenting  an  ni  u'oken  line  of  raging  breakers. 
The  wind  followed  ns  aroujul  into  Funchal  Bay,  and  it  was  with  some 
<liihculty  we  effected  a  landing.  But  this  was  in  March.  Later  in  the 
season  thei'o  is  less  liability  to  southerly  winds. 

Every  day  of  my  i-esidence  in  Madeii-a  increased  my  enthusiasm  for 
tiio  inexhaustible  variety,  beauty,  and  grandeur  of  its  scenery  and  the 
deliciousncss  of  its  climate.  Foin*  times  have  I  visited  it,  once  remain- 
ing there  six  months,  and  rambling  over  it  and  painting  its  landscapes  at 
leisure ;  and  the  more  I  retlect  npon  its  scenery,  the  more  do  I  feel  that 
neither  language  nor  pencil  can  exaggerate  the  natural  attractions  of  tliis, 
the  "finest  of  the  Atlantic  isles.  In  climate  IMadeira  may  well  1)0  reck- 
oned among  the  Isles  of  the  Blest,  for,  in  a  word, 

"The  climate's  delii'Mte  ;    tlio  iiir  most  swocf, 


Fertile  tlie  isle,  *  *  ' 
Tlie  praise  it  beats." 


iniicli  siii'passing 


TENEKIFFE. 


ll>l 


CHAPTER  VI. 


TKXEUIFFH. 


I'^O  ascend  this  celebrated  peak  had  loiii;;  been  my  atubition,  as  well  as, 
■  more  recently,  to  discover  if  the  climate  and  sceiieiy  of  the  Queen  ot: 
the  Canaries  were  equal,  not  to  say  sni)erioi-,  to  those  of  Madeira.  I  was 
iylad  to  find  the  two  islands  so  different  that  comi>arison  was  nnnecessar\-, 
wliile  I  was,  on  the  whole,  not  disappointed  by  what  I  saw  at  Tenerift'e, 
Althoni:;h  on  a  far  g-rander  scale,  it  resembles  Pico  Island  in  the  Azores. 
Put  the  peak  of  the  Western  Islands,  although  but  7015  feet  high,  has  not 
only  l)een  seen  t>ne  hmidred  and  ten  miles  at  sea  by  observation,  but  \^ 
often  visible  for-half  or  two-tln'rds  that  distance;  while  TenerifFe,  50(J0  feet 
more  lofty,  is  rarely  seen  at  a  distance,  especially  from  the  noi'th,  owing  to 


1--^! 


PLA/A    DK     LA    rONSTrX'lClON,   SANTA    VtiVX. 


peculiar  atmospheric  conditions,  parti(Mdarly  after  the  trade-winds  begin,  in 
April.  It  was  therefore  pbnost  useless  for  me  to  strain  my  eyes  to  discov- 
er it  on  the  voyage,  although  the  weather  was  fine,  for  the  breezy  ides  of 
IVIay  were  against  me.  Eut  the  light  near  Anaga  Point  was  visible  thirty 
miles  out,  and  the  fearfully  ragged  and  desolate  volcanic  peaks  and  cliffs 
of  the  south-eastern  (;oast  were  in  plain  sight  close  on  the  starboard  beam 
as  we  rounded  Anaga  in  the  pearly  gray  of  dawn.     Ere  long  Santa  Cruz 


3  22 


Till':   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


^: 


ai)[)eai'eJ  on  tlic  shore  direc-tly  ahead,  witli  the  mouiitaiiis  rising  behind 
in  ever-ascending  scale,  and  at  last  tiie  extreme  suniniit  of  the  great  cono 


GombraV  •;> 


^n 


IIERRO 


CLAK.V  I- 


I  LAKV  1. 

Lavzarote, 


*',s^-i    JSanta  Cruz 


FUBRTKVEN 


Cnndelarlu 


CANARY   ISLANDS 


Grak  Canaria 


AFRICA/ 


2S 


r.'.i  1 S' .  y.  r. 


17         LiinKituilc  Wi'st   10  fi'iini  (In'L'invirli         15 


called  the  Pitoii  -rered  before  us,  clearly  cut  against  the  azni-e  of  the  sky. 
As  the  sun  arose,  the  yellow  ])Uinice-stoue  and  snow  of  tiie  little  peak  as- 
sumed a  rich  roseate  hue.  The  whiteness  of  the  peak  gave  to  it  and  to 
the  island  its  name,  Thener  ife  (the  white  mountain)  it  was  called  by 
the  aborigines  of  Las  Palmas,  for  so  it  looked  to  them  sixtj'-eight  miles 
distant.  The  Titon  is  also  called  the  Pico  de  Teyde,  a  corruption  of 
Cheyde,  the  Guanehe  word  for  hell — a  title  -whose  appropriateness  is  at 
once  apparent  to  one  who  ascends  the  peak. 

The  harbor  of  Santa  Cruz  is  only  an  open  roadstead,  Avhose  sole  pro- 
tection is  the  regular  character  of  the  winds  and  climate,  and  the  nature 
of  the  anchorage,  which  is  so  steep  that  a  vessel  cannot  drag  ashore,  al- 
though she  may  be  driven  out  to  sea  occasionally.  P>ut  even  when  it  is 
calm,  the  water  of  the  port  is  always  more  or  less  agitated  by  the  heavy 
swell  rolling  in  from  the  trade-winds  blowing  outside.  The  landing-place 
is  within  an  admirably  construc^ted  mole.  It  M'as  here  that  Loid  Nelson 
made  his  attack  on  Santa  Cruz,  July  14th,  1794,  losing  an  arm  in  the  tight, 
but  winninn:  knidithood  for  his  gallantry  and  skill.  The  traveller,  on  land- 
ing,  is  beset  by  two  contrary  emotions,  caused  by  the  exorbitant  demands 
of  the  boatmen  and  the  carters,  and  the  immense  and  rather  unwonted 
relief  at  iinding  no  custom-house — no  officials  in  dirty  livery  to  turn  the 
contents  of  his  trunk  inside  out ;  that,  in  a  word,  although  under  the 
Spanish  yellow-and-scarlet  flag,  Santa  Cruz  is  a  free  port. 


TENEUIKFE. 


123 


1 


111  1852  this  island,  w\[\\  tlutse  {idjoiiiiiiii;,  obtained  permission  from 
the  IJomo  (ioveniniont  to  ahoHsh  all  duties  on  j5ot)ds  entei'ing  the  Cana- 
ries, provided  that  they  made  ui)  any  detieit  that  might  result  to  the  rev- 
enues of  the  erown  from  the  ado[)tion  of  this  measure.  The  eoinmeree 
of  the  islands  sinee  then  has  been  tolerably  [)rosperous,  and  the  importers 
have  thriven  on  free  trade;  but  lest  the  advoeates  of  free  trade  should 
cite  this  aa  a  proof  of  the  truth  of  their  theories,  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that 
the  deficit  in  the  national  revenues  has  never  been  made  up,  and  already 
amounts  to  millions,  the  possible  collection  of  which  is  held  over  the  peo- 
ple as  a  rod  of  terror,  while  the  taxes  liave  been  so  increased  in  proportion 
by  the  Home  Government  as  to  cause  much  grumbling  among  the  landed 
proprietors  and  peasantry. 

The  English  hotel,!  found,  had  been  recently  closed  for  lack  of  pat- 
ronage. It  was  therefore  with  dread  that  I  turned  to  the  Spanish /(>/<(/« 
kept  by  Durvan,  adjoining  the  captain-generars ;  but  I  was  agreeably 
disappointed  to  find  a  comfortable  and  well-sustained  hotel.  Santa  Cruz 
is  not  the  only  place  of  that  name  in  the  Spanish  dominions.  There  are 
several  in  the  Canaries  alone,  including  two  on  the  island  of  Tenerift'e ; 


I 


II 


I  ?| 


'   Pi'i-rlo^^ 


h^-^- 


^A..:-i#} 


inaga  Ft. 


Cruz 


^   '*^^T•^-^*     ^  AZ  teneriffe 


but  this  one  is  the  most  important  town  of  the  group,  numbering  some 
15,000  inhabitants.     Las  Palnias,  in  Gran  Canaria,  contains  a  larger  ]K»p- 


m- 


■  II 


;i  'il 


f-   Jj 


Ml, 


i             i'  " 

i            i  ■'■■: 

i          i    p. 

124 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


ulatloti,  but  it  is  of  less  relative  consequeiico.  Santa  Cruz  de  Te)ieriffe 
is  I'egiilarly  laid  ont  on  a  <>;nidnal  slope,  Hanked  by  very  savage,  volcajiie 
precipices  and  ravines,  which  are  not  so  near,  however,  as  to  justify  Hum- 
boldt's statement  that  it  lies  un- 
der a  perpendicular  wall  of  rock, 
unless  his  words  be  acce[)ted  in 
a  figurative  sense. 

Lest  the  people  should  forget 
the  name  of  their  city,  a  massive 
marble  cross  stands  at  the  head  of 
tlie  I'laza  de  la  CcMistitucion,  near 
the  jetty.  The  houses  are  often 
of  only  one  story,  and  rarely  more 
than  two,  though  a  partial  third 
story  is  not  unconnnon  in  the  form 
of  a  tower  surmounted  by  a  ter- 
race. The  roofs  are  flat,  and  offer 
a  pleasant  promenade  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening.  The  two-storied 
dwellings  are  in  the  form  of  a  hol- 
low s(piare,  in  Eastern  style.  One 
would  not  suspect  this  from  their 
ai>pearance  on  the  sti'eet.  From 
tlie  outer  door,  which  is  always 
o]ien  until  late  at  night,  one  passes  through  a  passage,  corresponding  in 
lenii-th  Avith  the  width  of  the  rooms,  to  the  inner  door,  which  gives  into 
the  ji)rt?'?V>,  or  court,  open  to  the  sky,  and  fre(piently  planted  with  bananas, 
orange-trees,  roses,  and  jessanii",es.  Around  the  jwtio  on  the  ground-lloor 
are  store-rooms  and  ofKces.  Tlie  family  occupy  the  next  floor,  the  rooms 
opening  npon  verandas  overlooking  the  court.  A  cluster  of  small  bells  is 
attached  to  the  inner  door.  When  a  visitor  arrives,  lie  pushes  it  open  ; 
the  bells  sound  the  alarm,  and  a  shrill  voice  aiiswers  above,  "  Quien  ?" 
(Who  is  it?)     Should  thei-e  be  no  bells,  the  visitor  claps  his  hands. 

As  in  Las  Palmas,  there  are  a  number  of  the  lower  class  who  live  in 
caves  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  The  Guanches,  or  aborigines,  were 
troglddytes.  At  Gran  Canaria  remains  of  stone  dwellings  still  exist;  but 
the  Guanches  of  Teneriffe  seem  to  have  been  uniforndy  troglodytes,  and 
the  custom  of  turning  the  numerous  air-vents,  or  caves,  of  this  volcanic 
soil  into  dwellings  has  not  yet  been  quite  abandoned.  Some  of  them 
have  been  improved  by  face-walls  and  other  "  modern  improvements,"  but 


SI'ANl!iH     SENDHITA. 


TENEllIFl'K. 


125 


tlieir  essential  cliaractcr  as  cavc-dwelliii^s  is  unclianged.  The  M'iildows 
i)f  all  the  houses  in  Tenerilte  deserve  es[)eeial  mention.  A  massive  fi'amt; 
like  a  box  iits  into  the  upertnre,  but,  nnlike  an  ordinary  casement,  projects 
some  inches  from  the  wall.  The  blinds  are  heavily  panelled  with  scjuare 
bevels,  and  in  the  lower  half  of  each  is  a  smaller  blind  swinging  out  from 
below.  This  is  called  the  iw^thjo^  and  phiys  a  most  important  part  in 
the  uneventful  lives  of  the  inhabitants,  especially  the  female  portion  of 
the  conmumity.  Is  any  unwonted  sound  heard  in  the  street,  up  ^o  the 
jiostic/os.  Early  in  the  day,  women  with  '^.owzy  tresses  and  children  just 
out  of  bed,  scarcely  awake  and  entirely  unwashed,  lean  languidly  on  the; 
sill  and  gaze  at  the  passer-by  behind  the  _/;o*'^/(/o.  Later  in  the  day  the 
dark -eyed  senorita,  her  toilet  completed,  shoots  dangerous  glances  from 
behind  this  convenient  ambush,  and  perha[)S  dro2)s  it  suddenly  just  as  one 
bei:;ins  to  realize  the  charms  it  covlv  reveals.  In  the  eveniui;  the  lover 
converses  with  her,  standing  under  the  half -raised  i)lind  of  the  magic- 
2wstlgo,\\\\\\c  she,  seated  on  the  window-seat,  leans  her  round  arm  on 
the  sill,  and  listens  to  the  passionate  words  he  utters  in  low  tones,  and 
perhaps  with  her  fan  coquets  with  another  admirer  across  the  street. 

The  Plaza  de  Princii)e,  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  is  very  pretty,  en- 
ch)sing  a  fountain,  and  embowered  with  plane  and  pepper  trees.  It  is 
the  great  resort  on  line  evenings,  and  few  others  ever  occur.  A  band  of 
nnisic  plays  very  tolerably,  although  the  romantic  guitar  tinkling  in  the 
side  streets  is  more  in  consonance  with  the  hour  and  the  clime.  One  is 
surprised  to  see  so  numy  handsome 
ladies  in  so  small  a  place.  They  in- 
variably wear  that  most  graceful  of 
all  head -coverings,  the  mantilla,  ei- 
ther black  or  M'hite,  and  of  lace  or 
silk.  The  ladies  of  Teneriffe,  having 
found  a  graceful  costume  for  the 
head,  are  sensible  enough  to  know 
when  they  arc  well  off,  and  do  not 
change  it.  Not  until  half-past  eight 
does  the  band  begin  to  play.  It  con- 
tinues until  eleven,  when  the  "  se- 
renos"  take  up  the  cry  in  turn.  This 
is  the  humorous  sobriquet  applied  to 
the  night-watchmen  or  j)olice,  who  every  half-hour  sing  out,  often  very 
musically,  "'■Ave  Mav'iapiirl'iuna .'"  then  they  give  the  hour,  and  end  with 
^^SereJW^^  (all  serene).     Hence  the  epithet;  for  so  almost  invariable  is  the 


-fi-l 


THE    POSTKiO. 


J*,  ; 


1  ' 

I 


; : 

■  i 

. 

I 


i^t 


1-^0 


TIIK   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


weather,  it  very  rarely  occurs  tliat  it  is  necessary  for  tlie  watclmien  to 
alter  the  cry;  ami  sonietiiiies  when  it  is  actually  storuiiui;  they  still,  from 
habit,  shout  "aSV/vvk;/"' 

I'ut  to  linger  long  in  Santa  Cruz  when  the  valley  of  Orotavx  is  jet 
unseen  and  unexplored  is  nn])ardonal)le.  An  excellent  carriage-rocd  con- 
nects the  two  places,  and  the  distance  is  about  twenty-iive  miles,  '"he 
island  itself  is  sixty  miles  long,  and  Orotava  is  on  the  northern  coast  I 
therefore  started  one  line  morning  for  the  valley  Humboldt  considered 
the  most  sublime  and  beautiful  landscape  he  had  ever  seen.  We  began 
to  ascend  immediately  toward  the  ridge  at  whose  summit,  3000  feet  above 

the  sea,  lies  that  quaint  and 
sleepy  old  town,  Jjaguna,  of 
all  drowsy  places  one  of  the 
most  peaceful  and  sonmolent. 
It  was  once  the  ca})ital  of 
the  island.  AVealth  was  in 
its  borders.  ]\Iarquises  and 
counts  dwelt  there  in  consid- 
ei'able  splendor.  The  ade- 
liDitado,  or  first  viceroy,  also 
reigned  there,  and  his  palace, 
built  over  four  hundred  years 
ago,  still  remains.  Eut  now 
the  grass  grows  raidc  in  the 
streets  of  Laguua;  the  house- 
leek  is  abundant,  springing 
from  the  mossy  tiles  of  the 
dilapidated  roofs  and  the 
crevices  of  the  forsaken  ja- 
lousies. Stately  gate- ways  are 
walled  up,  and  "  the  spider  hatli  Avoven  her  web  in  the  pala(!es  of  Afra- 
siab."  Yet,  owing  to  her  exceptionally  cool,  moist  climate,  Laguna  con- 
tinues a  resort  in  summer  for  those  who  desire  to  exchange  the  parched 
air  of  Santa  Cruz  for  a  more  bracing  atmosphere.  Even  in  summer  mists 
and  rain  are  not  uncommon  thei-e,  with  al)undant  breezes;  while  the  chai'in- 
ing  meadow-lands  and  intervales  surrounded  by  sharp  peaks  commanding 
Avonderful  prospects  over  land  and  sea,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  little 
city  is  situated,  afford  a  limitless  variety  of  charming  rambles.  But,  then, 
vour  true  Canary  Islander  is  not  much  of  a  rambler.     A  slight  infusion 

V  %/  CD 

of  Anglo-Saxon  blood  is  essential  to  develop  the  rambling  propensity. 


>t:#*fiSv-^ 


M1LK-VEM)EI(S. 


TKNKHIFFE. 


127 


The  peasants  of  Lagiiiia  still  retain  one  of  the  ancient  costinncs  of  the 
island.  AVliite  drawers  cover  the  whole  le^;  over  these  breeches  of  blue 
cloth  come  down  nearly  to  the  knee,  bound  witli  a  scarlet  cord,  but  so 
slashed  or  cut  away  over  the  hips  that  the  garment  really  consists  of  lit- 
tle more  than  Haps  in  front  and  behind,  resembling'  cnisses  of  steel  armoi-. 
l"'ormerly  every  village  had  its  own  costumes,  some  of  them  very  pictur- 
esijuc;  but,  exce])ting  in  the  more  remote  districts,  like  Chasna  and  Icod, 
they  are  gradually  passing  away.  In  some  of  the  other  islands  many  cu- 
rious garbs  are  still  in  connnon  use.  In  Tencriffe  the  country-women  in- 
variably  wear  a  white  cloth  over  the  head  and  neck,  or  a  shawl  extend- 
ing down  tlu;  back,  evidently  to  protect  the  spine  from  the  sun  ;  over  this 
a  straw  or  felt  hat  is  also  de  riyueur.  The  men  of  the  lower  classes  wear 
a  blanket  cloak,  that  swells  ont  in  stiff  and  nnwieldy  barrel-like  rotundity, 
and  is  absurd  enough  Avhcn  the  mercury  is  at  eighty.  The  purchase  of 
oiiC  of  these  cloaks  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,  as  certain  rpialities 
(Miter  into  its  composition  without  which  it  is  simply  nseless  to  offer  it 
for  sale  over  any  counter  in  Teneriffe.  It  must  be  white,  white  as  snow, 
nlthongb  immediately  after  purchasing  it  the  wearer  may  perhaps  fling  it 
into  the  dirt,  and  it  will  never  henceforward  be  other  than  a  dingv  brown. 
It  nnist  have  a  blue  stripe,  with  a  narrower  one  of  the  same  color  on 
each  side  near  the  lower  edge ;  it  must  be  of  uniform  thickness — a  thin 
s[)ot  would  ruin  it — and  the  nap  must  run  one  way,  and  that  dow.iward, 
in  order  to  make  it  water-proof.  These  and  other  conditions  arc  re([uired 
l)y  the  Medo-Persian  inffexihility  of  public  opinion  among  the  peasantry 
of  Teneriffe. 

We  passed  many  women  carrying  on  their  licads  boxes  containing 
the  cochineal  bug,  which  they  had  bought  in  Santa  Cruz,  and  were  taking 
to  the  north  side  to  put  on  the  plant.  As  is  genei-ally  known,  the  cochi- 
neal deposits  its  young  on  the  leaf  of  the  cacrus.  The  mothers  are  laid 
in  thin  cambric  bags,  which  are  then  wrapped  around  the  iilant  and  left 
on  until  the  l)ug  is  deposited  on  the  leaf.  After  reaching  maturity  the 
bugs  are  scraped  off,  and  dried  in  an  oven  or  in  the  air.  Much  of  the 
island  is  covered  with  cactus,  antl  two  cro])s  of  cochineal  are  gatliered 
ill  many  places;  but  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  is  marred  by  the  un- 
sightly fields  of  ca(!tus  bound  with  white  rags.  The  cochineal,  originally 
introduced  from  Mexico  by  an  enterjirising  })riest  who  suffered  much  per- 
secution fnun  the  peasants  for  injuring,  as  they  supposed,  a  i)laut  whose 
prickly  pear  supplies  them  with  a  stai)le  food,  became  a  source  of  large 
profit  at  a  time  when  the  disease  of  the  vines  cut  off  the  wine  crop.  But  t'le 
discovery  of  aniline  colors  has  greatly  reduced  the  demand  for  cochineal, 


ml 


'i  ,    i 


HI     ■  3 

i     (  ■ 


■•I 


if 

1   ^1  l 

|,  3J- 

1    '      ! 

Hill  ]■■; 


1 1 


I  i    f 


II  "i 


mil  i  i 


... 


m 


\  n.  '  % 


128 


TIIH   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


altlionifli  tliey  can  never  altogether  supersede  the  little  in?cet  from  which 
are  obtained  the  most  exciuissite  red  dyes  known  in  modern  times.     The 


CAMELS    AND     COCHlNEAL-CAItlllKKS. 


deficiency  that  might  result  in  the  commerce  of  the  islands  is  at  present 
partially  made  up  by  an  increasing  production  of  onions  and  potatoes, 
which  are  largely  exported  to  the  West  Indies.  The  climate  allows  three 
crops  of  potatoes  annually.  The  cultivation  of  the  vine  is  also  in  a  meas- 
ure reviving,  and  perhaps  3000  pipes  of  various  sorts  wei-e  made  at  the 
last  vintage.  The  aunual  yield  was  formerly  over  30,000  pipes.  The  best 
canary  is,  like  most  wines  of  warm  climates,  strong.  It  has  a  rich  golden 
hue  and  a  fine  fruity  flavor,  although  inferior  to  old  port  or  madeira. 

The  tig  grows  in  Tcneriffe  abundantly,  producing  several  excellent 
varieties.  During  the  season  the  trees  are  frequented  by  the  capirote, 
which  nestles  in  the  dense  shade,  and  feeding  on  the  fruit,  gains  inspira- 
tion for  the  exquisite  strains  which  the  livelong  day  add  the  charm  of 
melody  to  the  loveliness  that  meets  the  eye  at  every  turn.  The  notes  of 
the  cai)irol^  rival  those  of  the  mocking-bird  and  the  m'ghtingale  in  variety 
and  richness,  and  it  can  be  easily  tamed  and  taught  to  imitate  the  notes 
of  other  birds;  but  this  modest,  pearl-tinted  little  songster  is  so  sensitive 
that  all  attempts  to  acclimate  it  in  other  countries  have  failed. 


TKNERIFFE. 


129 


After  leaving  Laguna  we  ?aw  many  paltns,  sometimes  in  clusters;  but, 
except  at  Santa  Cruz,  they  do  not  })ru(luec  dates  tit  to  eat.  They  give  an 
Oriental  aspect  to  the  landsca])e,  which  is  heightened  by  the  camels  that 
one  encounters  on  the  road,  lint  camels  are  less  emi)loved  in  the  island 
than  formerly,  and,  like  those  of  Lancerote,  are  scarcely  tame.  It  is  not 
uncommon  for  them  to  charge  furiously  upon  men,  not  even  respecting 
their  masters.  I  have  heard  that  people  have  been  killed  in  the  Canaries 
by  camels.  This  certainly  belies  the  reputation  for  meekness  that  they 
have  earned  in  Eastern  lands. 

Our  road  beyond  Laguna  lay  by  the  sea,  or  rather  at  a  height  of  2000 
or  3000  feet  above  it,  sometimes  on  the  brow  of  a  slope  approaching  a 
precipice,  or  again  separated  from  the  deep-blue  ocean  below  by  a  valley 
studded  with  hamlets.  At  noon  we  stopi)ed  at  the  village  of  Matan;^as 
to  lunch  and  bait  the  horses.  Matanza  means  "slaughter"  in  Spanish, 
and  the  name  wa^^  given  to  the  place  in  memory  of  the  severest  drubbing 
the  Spaniards  ever  received,  in  proportion  to  the  numbers  engaged  on  each 
side.  Jean  de  Betancourt,  a  Norman  lord,  having  heard  of  the  distant 
Canary  Islands,  and  moved  by  the  roving  impulse  inherited  from  his  an- 
cestors, set  out  to  visit  and  perhaps  conquer  them.  Finding  no  French- 
men ready  to  accompany 
him,  he  went  to  Spain, 
where  he  was  joined  by 
a  cousin,  who  induced 
some  Spanish  adventur- 
ers to  embark  on  the  gal- 
leys of  Betancourt.  The 
history  of  the  subsequent 
conquest  by  Betancourt 
and  his  successors,  and  of 
the  singular  people  they 
found  and  subdued  in 
those  islands,  is  full  of  ro- 
mance and  interest.  Lan- 
cerote was  the  first  island 
seized.  Grand  Canary 
was  subjugated  only  af- 
ter seventy  -  seven  years 
of  heroic  defense  on  the  part  of  a  people  who  were  not  destitute  of  some 
civilization,  who  displayed  many  nuignanimous  traits  of  character,  and 
who  yielded  at  last  only  when  their  king  had  been  seized  by  treachery, 

9 


<iKOLl>    OK    CIILZAS,   OK    HITS,    NEAR    LA(.l  NA. 


^ 


nr ' ' 


i,      I 


M 


,       u      I,      ri 


[30 


TiiK  Atlantic:  islands. 


iitid  wlicn  tlu'ir  inimlx'is  were  red  need  to  five;  liimdicd.  TtMieiiffo  was 
iiut  even  visited  until  iil'ter  all  the  other  islands  of  the  i^roiip  had  conio 
under  the  Spanisli  yoke.  There  are  jxrounds  for  hclieviiii;'  that  the  Fortu- 
nate Isles,  with  the  exception  of  Teneriffe,  were 
coktiii/.ed  hy  exiles  of  war,  expelled  from  Uar- 
bary  i.i  Roman  times.  Aside  fr(»m  traditions 
to  this  efteet,  there  are  many  dialeetic;  analoijjies 
between  their  lanijjnaiie  and  that  of  the  Berbers, 
as  well  as  resemblances  in  customs.  l>nt  the 
natives  of  Teneriffe  diltV'red  so  nnich  in  lan- 
ijna<^e  and  customs  from  those  of  the  other  isl- 
ands as  to  throw  i^reat  doubt  on  their  origin. 
The  coloniziiiii;  of  Teneriffe  by  such  exiles  nuiy, 
]iowever,  have  hov.u  secondary  to  a  ])revious  oc- 
cui)ation.  In  those  primitive  days  conununiea- 
tion  between  the  islands  was  rare,  and  it  is  even 
asserted  that  boats  were  unknown  there. 

Some  stones  have  recently  been  discovered 
in  Ilieri'o  and  Las  Palnuis  bearini:;  sculi>tured 
symbols  similar  to  those  found  on  the  shores 
of  hake  Supei-i(»r.  This  has  led  M.  I'ertholet, 
the  enthusiastic  liistoiiograi)hei'  of  the  islands, 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  lirst  inhabitants  of 
the  Canaries  and  those  of  the  ijreat  West  were  one  in  race.  Althouirh  he 
has  arrived  at  this  result  rather  hastily,  as  it  would  seem,  when  one  con- 
sideis  the  universality  of  some  of  the  ancient  syndjols,  there  is  apparently 
some  reason  to  urge  further  investigations  of  the  suljject. 

Only  to  the  tribes  of  Teneriffe  does  the  term  (juanche  apply,  although 
often  given  to  those  of  the  other  islands.  The  island  was  divided  among 
nine  chiefs  or  kings,  and  there  was  a  complete  organization  or  feudal 
system,  composed  of  a  wealthy  class,  and  of  serfs  avIio  took  charge  of  the 
tlocks,  which  formed  the  riches  of  the  island.  The  code  of  laws,  though 
unwritten,  was  well  defined  and  strictly  administered.  One  of  the  upper 
class  who  so  far  lowered  himself  as  to  milk  a  goat  was  degraded  to  vas- 
salage; but  capital  punishment  was  not  allowed.  Wars  were  common, 
chietly  regarding  boundaries.  The  M'eapons  were  elaborately  carved,  and 
the  arrow  and  spear  heads  were  made  of  obsidian.  The  food  of  all 
classes  was  generally  (/ojio,  a  palatable  nuxture  composed  of  wheat,  corn, 
<jr  barley,  roasted  like  coffee.  It  is  afterward  ground  in  hand-mills, 
and  the  Hour,  mixed  with  water  or  milk,  is  then  thoroughly  kneaded  in 


TKNEIIIKFE    iOSIlME. 


TKNKUIFFK. 


l.il 


11  _i(0!it-sl\in.  Tliis  dish  is  still  nliiiost  miivcrsal  iiinonu;  tlic  pousaiitry  of 
TiMU'iillL'.  Tliu  (iiiaiiclies  dniiik  no  cold  wutcr  for  hall'  an  hour  after 
eating,  to  a\(»id  injuring  t\\^.'.  teeth.  After  death  tho  (InanelK!  was  em- 
balmed and  sewed  up  in  a  tanned  g(tat-skin,  and  deposited  in  one  of 
tho  numerous  (tavos  with  which  the  island  abounds.  Four  or  five  mum- 
mies, ono  of  them  a  prineess,  another  the  remains  of  a  i/iKintato/ie, 
or  cliief,  of  Te}do,  in  (iran  C'anaria,  are  preserved,  Avith  a  few  other 
Guancthe  relies,  spears,  hand-mills,  leather  pitchers,  and  the  like,  in  a 
small  private  museum  whieh  I  visited  at  Taearonte.  Ihit  the  mum- 
mies liave  otherwise  been  wantonly  destroyed  wherever  found  by  the 
peasantry,  who  regard  them  with  superstitious  dread.  Some  wei'e  dis- 
covered in  a  cave  at  Santa  Lucia  while  I  was  at  TenerifHe,  and  were  im- 
mediately broken  u[).  There  are  mummies  still  known  by  tradition  to 
exist  in  eaves  on  the  edges  of  precipices,  especially  at  (tuinuir,  and  inac- 
cessible unless  one  chooses  to  be  lowered  a  thousand  feet  by  a  rope.  The 
bodies  were  thus  let  down  and  deposited  on  ledges  in  the  cave  mouth, 
where  they  probably  renuiin  to  this 
day. 

In  14GJr,  the  Spaniards,  under 
Diego  de  llerrera,  lord  of  Lance- 
I'ote,  made  a  landing  at  Tenerifte. 
They  were  peaceably  received,  and 
were  permitted  to  renuiin  and  con- 
struct a  fort.  J>ut  the  Sjjaniards 
having  been  guilty  of  a  gross  breach 
of  faith,  the  honest  Giianchcs  were 
so  irritated  that  they  arose  and 
swept  fort  and  garrison  out  of  ex- 
istence. Naturally  infuriated  at  the 
conduct  of  barbarians  so  simple  as 
to  be  exaspei-ated  by  mere  periidy, 
Alonzo  de  hugo  landed  one  thou- 
sand men,  in  1493,  and,  as  the  na- 
tives were  taken  by  surprise,  was 
able  to  scour  the  land  as  far  as  C)ro- 
tava.  But  the  chief  of  that  valley 
sent  forward  three  hundred  men  under  his  brother  to  waylay  tlio  Si)an- 
iards  on  their  return,  while  he  bestirred  himself  to  rouse  the  rest  of  the 
island.  At  Matanzas,  previously  alluded  to,  the  invaders  were  attacked, 
and,  although  armed  with  ujail  and  arcjuebuses,  they  were  put  to  voute,  los- 


GUANCIIE    MLMMIK3     AT    TACAUOSTE. 


11 


rr      :    I  $ 


id 


/  li  i 


m 

i    ii  i 


lilt 


„ 


132 


Tin:   ATI-ANTIC   ISLANDS. 


\u<jf  not  loss  than  six  hundred  men  in  the  hjittlo,  or  ratlicr  slaiiij^htcr.  On 
rcjiciiini;  tho  coast,  Alonzo  do  Luijo  was  n<riuu  attackod,  and  lost  one-fourtli 
of  his  rcniaiiiini:;  lorcc  :  ho  thoui^ht  Iiinisoll"  hapi*}'  to  \h\  ahlo  t(t  ro-ctn- 
hark  with  only  throo  hundred  out  of  the  thousand  men  with  whieh  lit;  had 
liiiided  a  few  days  previously.  Nothiiii;  daunted,  howevcM',  Alonzo  d(!  liUjfo 
icapiteared  at  Tenoriffe  with  a  still  liii'i^er  force;  and  now  the  (Juaiu-hes 
disjiliiyed  a  common  souse  rare  in  liistory.  The  leadinj;  chief  of  the  island 
reasoned  that,  althouujh  he  nii^ht  ho  able  to  cope  with  the  army  just  landed, 
it  must  be  of  little  ultimate  use;  for  an  enemy  who,  aft(U'  such  .  disastrous 
(h!feat,<"ould  so  soon  put  a  larger  army  into  the  field,  must  hy  thcer  wei<j;ht 
of  numbers  gradually  wear  out  the  limited  population  of  Tenoriffe.  The 
wisest  plan,  therefore,  seemed  to  be  to  submit  while  it  was  still  in  their 
power  to  impose  certain  conditions,  of  course  accepting  Christianity,  with- 
out doing  which  they  would  all  have  been  roasted,  lly  the  inthienco  of 
this  king  all  the  island  was  brought  to  submit  to  the  lSj)aiiiards.  Alonzo 
de  Lugo  became  a(h'la)ttU(lo,\cn\iuf^  a  large  posterity  to  transmit  his  name, 
and  tlic  Guanches,  instead  of  being  e.xtermimited,  wore  absorbed  into  the 
Spanish  race.  ]>ut  the  peasant  of  the  western  part  of  the  island  still  shows 
the  lineaments  of  a  race  that  peo[)led  these  islands  before  the  Goth  had 
issued  from  the  North,  or  the  Saracen  from  the  South,  to  form,  in  Iberia, 
the  present  race  of  Spain.  Until  quite  recently,  Guanches  of  purely  ab- 
original blood  were  still  to  be  found  at  Chasna. 

While  we  have  been  glancing  briefly  at  the  history  of  the  conquest, 
the  bony  horses,  three  abreast,  and  well-nigh  devoured  by  the  Hies,  which, 
it  nuist  be  C(Hifessed,  are  suf^ciently  numerous  to  amount  to  a  plague  in 
Teneriffo,  have  carried  «s  past  Sausal,  where  the  peak  should  burst  on  the 
sight,  revealing  its  proportions  as  from  no  other  part  of  the  island.  But 
the  peak  was  concealed  in  dense  layers  of  the  trade-wind  cloud,  and  con- 
tinued so  for  ten  days  after  my  arrival.  This  sublime  })rospect  was  there- 
fore reserved  for  my  return,  as  the  final  picture  in  a  succession  of  mag- 
niticent  scenes,  which  were  revealed  one  by  one,  during  my  sojourn  at 
Orotava.  Could  I  have  arranged  everything  with  the  purpose  of  i)ro- 
ducing  the  most  effective  impression,  it  could  not  have  been  better  de- 
vised. Five  hours  brought  us  to  the  valley  of  Orotava,  although  another 
hour  or  two  Avas  required  to  complete  the  journey  to  the  fonda  at  the 
2nierto^^v\\\i:A\  could  be  reached  only  on  donkey  or  horse  back. 

Situated  300  feet  above  the  sea,  Mi's.  TurnbuH's  comfortable  little 
boarding-house  was  perhaps  too  inconveniently  located  for  transient  vis- 
itors ;  but  for  those  who,  either  for  pleasure  or  health,  desire  to  spend 
delicious  days  of  poetic  indolence  gazing  on  the   noble   prospect  —  the 


TKNKUIKFK. 


133 


iuountaii»8  and  the  valley,  and  tlio  Hca  that  hisht's  tho  volcanic  ])cach  from 
a'^o  to  a«;e — a  inoro  adniinihlc  situation  conld  Kcarcely  liavo  been  selected. 
As  re<j;ard»  climate,  the  teni[>erature  at  that  height  cannot  In;  surpassed 
on  this  imperfect  planet  of  ours.  The  trade-winds,  which  are  hardly  felt 
at  the  sea-level,  there  impart  a  revivlni;  coolness  to  the  air  of  midsunnner. 
Fifty-eii^ht  deyjrees  Fahrenheit  is  the  lowest  the  mercury  falls  in  winter. 
From  sixty-eight  to  seventy-two  degrees  is  the  average  height  it  reaches 
in  sunnner.  In  tho  j)uer to  below,  the  glass  descends  to  sixty-four  in  the 
house  in  winter,  and  never  rises  al)ove  eighty.     Add  to  this  that  the  cli- 


CITY    OF    SAN    JUAN     OltOTAVA, 


mate  is  dry — more  so  than  that  of  the  Bahamas  or  Madeira,  both  cele- 
brated resorts  for  invalids — and  the  winds  moderate.  Santa  Cruz  is  gen- 
erally too  warm,  although  the  heat  is  not  so  much  excessive  as  steady ; 
while  Lagmia,  to  which  residents  of  the  island  resort  in  summer  for  a 
more  bracing  air,  is  perhaps  too  damp  and  windy  for  invalids  who  come 
from  abroad.  But  Orotava  seems  to  combine  all  that  is  desirable  from  a 
sanitary  point  of  view  for  those  who  are  afflicted  with  pulmonary  com- 
plaints, rheumatism,  or  neuralgia  in  its  ])rotean  forms ;  also,  perhaps,  for 
those  wasting  away  with  that  terrible  malady,  Bright's  disease,  if  they  can 
endure  the  voyage. 


L 

I 


U> 


'i 


1  •'! 


* 


Nl 


r:' 


^1 


134 


TIIK   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


The  valloy  of  Orotava  is  more  properly  a  slope  tlian  a  valley.  Fi-oiii 
the  (trater  of  the  Cafiadas  a  eeiitral  ridge,  ealled  the  Cuiuhre,  runs;  to  ha- 

^ ,   gniia,  where  it  is  coiitimietl  by  a 

I'iilge  of  another  foriuatiou  run- 
iiiiig  to  Aiiaga  Point.  From  this 
ridge,  where  it  meets  the  Cafia 
dus,  a  niagnitieent  bastion,  ealled 
Mount  Tijjfavffa,  stretches  for  sev- 
eral  miles,  like  a  stupendous  wall, 
on  one  side  of  the  sk)pe,  throwing 
out  into  the  valley  brttresses  of 
astonishing  gi-andeur,  often  near- 
ly vertical  for  thousands  of  feet. 
( )n  the  eastern  side  another  moun- 
tain, nearly  as  subliu)e,  bounds 
the  slope.  l»etwcen  these  two 
lateral  mountains  the  celebrated 
valley  of  Orotava  rises  by  a  very 
gradual  but  unbroken  ascent  from 
the  coast  until  it  reaches  '^"^  cen- 
tral ridge,  some  7000  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  shore  sometimes 
terminates  in  a\)ru})t  precipices 
of  lava  and  basalt,  or  in  a  ro(;ky  beach  of  slag,  M'hitened  for  evermore 
by  the  surges  of  the  hoarse  Atlantic.  Three  nnles  from  the  coast  lies 
Orotava,  an  ancient-looking  town  of  perhaps  0000  inhabitants.  Here  are 
houses  quaint  with  dilapidation  and  a  certain  musty  air  of  decayed  splen- 
dor. It  is  still  the  residence  of  several  Spanisli  families  of  title — counts, 
marquises,  and  dons  of  high  and  low  degree.  A  church  of  some  architect- 
nral  merit,  but  incomj)lete,  occupies  a  prominent  position;  and  some  of 
the  gardens  of  the  place  are  stocked  with  exotics. 

1  observed  here  a  very  pretty  custom,  common  in  other  towns  of  the 
island,  but  seen  in  its  perfection  at  Orotava.  On  the  fete-days  of  the 
Church  the  streets  through  which  the  procession  passes  are  strewn  with 
carpets  of  flowers.  This  is  done  by  gathering  the  petals  of  various  brill- 
iant flowers  into  separate  baskets.*  A  mould  is  laid  on  the  pavement  rep- 
resenting the  pattern.  In  one  compartment  rose  petals  are  dropped,  in 
another  marigold,  in  another  violet,  and  so  on.  All  the  divisions  having 
been  fllled  with  petals  an  inch  deep,  the  mould  is  carefidly  removed,  and 
a  most  beautiful  painting  ai)pears,  nuignilicent  as  the  richest  of  stained- 


UIIA(.ON-TI<tE    AS    ir    WAS. 


TENKKIFFK 


135 


gUvss  windows,  r.ofovo  private  lioiises  the  ladies  sometimes  assist  in  this 
pious  and  poetic,  art,  which,  as  may  he  easily  understood,  wonld  he  iin- 
[)ossihle  in  a  land  where  flowers  are  scarce  or  where  the  winds  are  rnde. 

In  the  garden  oi"  the  ]\[arqnis  of  Sausal  stood  what  was  considered  on 
the  highest  anthority  to  he  the  oldest  known  tree  in  the  world,  the  i.iinons 
dragon-tree  of  Orotava.  Five  thonsanil  vears  was  the  least  age  that  could 
he  assigned  to  it.  It  was  over  ei^htv  feet  hiii'h,  and  of  enormous  circum- 
ferencc,  hut  had  heen  reduced  to  a  mere  shell,  although  still  green  at  the 
top,  and  with  a  possihility  of  centuries  yet  hefore  it.  The  manpiis  i)aid 
no  heed  to  its  decrepit  condition,  and  the  venerahlc  patriai'ch  wtie  left 
without  support.  Eight 
years  ago  a  iiurricane 
s\vei)t  the  island,  and  in 
that  wild  night,  wlule 
r.io  thunders  raged, while 
the  winds  screamed  over 
houses  unroofed,  M'hile 
ships  foundered  with  all 
on  hoai'd,the  old  dragon- 
tree  that  had  survived 
the  fall  of  empires,  and 
the  earthquake  -  shocks 
and  liei-y  torrents  of 
volcanoes,  at  last  went 
down.  What  relic-hunt- 
ers and  fuel -seekers — 
with  shame,  be  it  said — 
have  left  of  this  ])atri- 
arclt  now  lies  a  mere 
heap  t)f  I'ed  hark,  and 
nothiniyniore.  Thedrair- 
on-tree,  so  called  from 
its  red  sap,  formerly 
used  as  a  dye,  is  com- 
mon in  the  Canary  isl- 
ands, and  many  very  tine 
specimens  of  it  are  to 
he  seen  there. 

Below  the  town   is  the  celel)rated  hotanic  garden  of  Teneriffe,  whiuli 
wouUl  ho  more  pro[)ei'ly  termed  a  garden  of  acclimation.     Great  hopes 


BOTANIC    UAIIPENH,    OHOTAVA. 


I 


,     i 


I 


:e 


I'  <  I  J 


i 


i  '■ 


i  *i- 

If^i 


4  I 


il 


3  iij 


f  f 


Vli 


i    I? 

1    ! 


136 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


of  its  usefulness  were  euteituiiied  at  its  inception ;  but  a  larger  experience, 
and  the  extensive  greenhouses  put  up  more  recently  in  northern  climes, 
have  to  a  degree  neutralized  its  value,  although  it  is  still  well  tended  by 
the  intelligent  siipei'intendent,  Mr.  "NVilpert.  The  Puerto  de  Orotava  is  a 
sleepy  little  })lace  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  villa,  or  upper  town,  but, 
on  the  whole,  more  cheerful,  and  with  a  certain  amusing  assumption  of 
thrift,  not  to  say  bustle,  about  it  during  the  onion  and  potato  season,  when 
the  diminutive  mole  is  piled  with  the  odoriferous  bulbs,  and  the  lighters 
row  out  througli  the  luirrow  passage  among  the  rocks,  and  ride  over  the 
heavy  swell,  upon  which  the  ships  pitch  and  roll  in  a  most  uneasy  man- 
ner, moored  by  the  stern  as  well  as  the  bow,  and  with  the  breakers  often 
just  under  the  quarter.  The  regularity  of  the  winds  makes  accidents  rare, 
but  I  should,  notwithstanding,  wish  a  ship  well  insured  if  1  were  to  send 
her  to  Oi'otava  for  a  cargo  of  onions.  The  number  of  crosses  at  the  port, 
in  shrines,  on  the  house-walls,  or  over  the  gates,  is  remarkable. 

Three  miles  to  the  westward  of  the  port  is  the  Val  Taoro,  a  regular 
depression  of  the  slope,  but  with  a  steeper  incline.  Here  is  the  straggling 
village  of  Realejo,  very  striking  and  picturesque.  The  women  of  this 
place  are  more  fair  and  plump  than  most  of  the  countrywomen  of  Tene- 
riffe,  because,  some  say,  of  the  wonderful  air  of  the  locality,  and  others 
because  of  their  Norman  descent.  In  the  small  church  attached  to  the  con- 
vent of  San  Francisco  there  is  a  carved  cedar  roof,  exquisitely  beautiful. 

The  flora  of  Teneriffe  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  rich  ;  this,  however, 
must  be  taken  as  implying  variety  in  its  botanic  specimens  rather  than 
such  a  general  luxurianCv  of  verdure  as  is  found  in  Madeira  or  Januxica. 
The  chestnut  forests  which  once  covered  the  valley  have  been  largely  cut 
down  to  make  room  for  the  culture  of  the  cochineal ;  and  the  vestiges  of 
volcanic  action  abounding  on  all  sides  in  the  form  of  streams  of  lava  or 
slag,  in  dark-brown  cliffs  and  mounds,  and  numerous  walls  and  huge  piles 
of  lava  stones,  of  which  the  fields  have  to  be  cleared  before  they  can  be 
cultivated,  together  with  long  stretches  of  unsightly  cactus  or  ])oisonous 
euphorbia,  sometimes  give  the  landscape  an  air  of  desolation.  But  these 
features  are  soon  forgotten  in  the  grander  objects  which  Oi'otava  presents. 
To  appreciate  the  valley  of  Orotava,  one  must  give  to  it  weeks  and  months 
of  passive,  reverent  observation  and  reflection.  It  is  not  in  the  minute 
details,  but  in  its  general  effect,  that  it  should  be  regarded,  like  a  painting 
executed  broadly,  and  leaving  the  inuiginative  mind  to  supply  the  details. 
So  viewed,  the  majestic  slope  of  Orotava,  encircled  by  the  nujuntains  and 
the  sea,  wearing  on  its  bosom  its  cluster  of  beautiful  towns,  and  robing 
itself  in  the  vegetation  of  all  climes,  offers  one  of  the  most  remarkable 


TENEUIFFE. 


137 


landscapes  on  the  globe,  if  not  indeed  the  most  remarkable.  Whether 
seen  from  leod  Alto,  on  the  brow  of  Tigay<j;a,  or  from  the  opposite  side, 
or  from  the  l)each,  or  from  the  town,  it  everywhere  overwhelms  one  more 
and  more  with  its  matchless  magniticence  and  sublimity.  The  last  time 
1  saw  it  from  the  shore  was  at  sunset.  Not  a  cloud  obscured  the  vast 
am]>hitheatre  before  me.     The  upper  heights  were  bathed  in  purple.     De- 


VIEW    OF    THE    I'KAK    H»)M    OROTAVA. 


yond  Tigayga,  far  up  in  the  blue,  the  white  cone  of  the  peak  towered  in 
regal  solitude,  a  wreath  of  golden  clouds  above  its  head,  and  seemingly 
al)laze  in  the  ruddy  glow  of  the  sun  droj)ping  below  the  ocean's  verge. 
I'urple  shadows  crept  over  the  lower  part  of  the  slope  until  they  grad- 
ually mantled  the  ridges  of  Tigayga  and  the  Canadas.  IJut  long  after, 
like  a  star  in  the  firmament,  the  extreme  summit  of  the  Piton  gleamed 
alone  in  the  heavens. 


w 


13S 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


\ 


II 


i 


llli 


j 


'  I  I 


I' 


From  Orotava  I  made  a  tuip  to  Icod,  distant  twenty  miles  to  the  west- 
waril.  Tli(!  road  was  remarkable  only  for  its  ruirged,  not  to  say  danger- 
ous, character.     We  scaled  tlie  lower  heights  of  Tigayga,  and,  passing  the 

village  of  (riianche,  reached  Icod  to- 
ward evening.  The  volcanic  desola- 
tions throngh  which  we  had  picked 
onr  way  moderated  somewhat  as  we 
ap})roached  the  little  i)lace,and  it  was 
almost  with  suri>rise  I  found  myself 
in  a  well-built,  picturesque  town  with 
considerable  ])retensions  to  beauty. 
The  situation  is  certainly  very  iine. 
The  view  of  the  i)eak  is  the  chief 
object  of  interest  at  Icod,  and  one 
who  has  never  ascended  it  can  ob- 
tain a  better  idea  of  the  cone  from 
Icod  than  from  the  valley  of  Oro- 
tava.  There  is  in  the  garden  adjoin- 
ing thojfonda,  at  Icod,  the  oldest  and 
noblest  dragon-tree  now  known  to 
exist.  It  is  in  excellent  condition, 
and  can  hardly  be  less  than  3000 
years  old.  Another  object  of  inter- 
est is  the  cave  of  the  Guanches,  close 
to  the  town.  A  formidable  supply  of  pitch-pine  fagots  having  been  pre- 
])ared,  I  followed  the  gukl.o  throngh  a  crevice  so  low  that  one  must  enter 
it  on  his  knees.  The  cave  is  long,  narrow,  and  winding,  generally  from 
ten  to  fifteen  feet  high,  but  sometimes  so  low  .at  we  were  forced  to  crawl. 
It  is  also  so  regidar  in  its  width  as  to  seem  like  an  artificial  subterranean 
passage.  After  walking  a  third  of  a  mile  in  darkness,  a  gleam  of  light 
was  seen  at  last,  and  we  reached  the  other  end  of  the  cave.  Here  it 
widened  to  a  moderate-sized  hall,  and  renuiins  of  mummies  were  to  be 
seen  on  the  ground  aiul  in  (srevices  in  the  wall.  Although  there  were 
some  dusky  rays  of  light  here,  there  was  no  exit ;  only  a  low  aperture 
where  the  light  came  from,  which  I  was  able  to  reach  by  creeping  face  to 
the  ground.  I  put  my  head  out  and  found  myself  directly  over  a  lofty 
prcci]>icc,  at  the  foot  of  which  the  ocean  dashed  with  unceasing  roar, 
I'urial-place  more  impressive  could  hardly  be  imagined. 

Three  miles  beyond  Icod  is  (iuarachi<;o,  which  once  owned  the  finest 
harbor  in  the  Canaries,  and  was  a  city  of  commercial  importance.     But 


I'tAsA.NT    sll.NM.Nu. 


I 


TENKKIFFK. 


139 


two  centuries  a<2:o  the  town  was  overwliclinctl  bv  volcanic;  ern lotions  and 
the  port  tilled  np  with  a  torrent  of  lava.  A  little  tisliinijf  village  now 
stands  where  tho  /^oi'mer  port  teas.  Giianchc  M'as  written  on  the  face  of 
most  of  the  peasants  1  saw  in  that  district.  On  ('orpiis  (Jhristi  Day  they 
wore  all  ctut,  and  I  had  a  good  opportnnity  of  ohserving  them.  It  may 
he  added  that  tho  fo/ida  at  Icod  is  very  comfoi'table,  and  visitoi's  are  not 
badlv  entertained.  The  return  bv  a  lower  road  aiono"  the  coast,  throui'h 
the  villages  of  Santa  Caterina,  La  Ivainbla,  and  San  Jnan  de  la  Ilainbla, 
was  very  pleasing.  The  road,  although  very  rough  and  stony,  offers  many 
striking  views  and  objects  of  interest. 

JJefore  leaving  Orotava  I  ascended  the  ])eak  of  Teyde.  It  was  toward 
the  last  of  May,  but  still  somewhat  earlier  than  it  is  usually  attempted, 
and  mine  Mas,  therefore,  the  first  ascent  of  the  season.  The  number  who 
go  np  tho  peak  during  the  year  is  always  very  limited,  perhaps  a  dozen, 
and  generally  they  are  travellers  from  abroad,  who  come  tliero  expressly 
for  that  purpose.  The  difficulty  of  the  undertaking  and  hwk  of  enter- 
prise deter  most  of  the  residents  from  trying  it.  The  nudeteer  and 
guide  were  my  only  companions.  We 
started  at  five  in  the  morning.  My 
mule,  when  I  mounted  him,  acted  in 
a  manner  that  aroused  grave  suspi- 
cions as  to  his  character,  and  his  sub- 
sequent conduct  during  this  and  the 
following  day  confirmed  my  suspi- 
cions. The  sumpter-mule  generally 
(iomported  himself  with  propriety. 
Not  only  the  mides,  but  also  the 
horses  of  Teneriffe,  bear  a  very  bad 
reputation.  We  passed  through  Re- 
alejo  up  the  Val  Taora,  and  for  sev- 
eral thousand  feet  the  ascent  was 
moderate,  although  tho  road  soon  de- 
generated into  a  rough  bridle-path. 
At  a  height  of  8000  feet  we  entered 
tho  stratum  of  trade -wind  cloud, 
which  continued  to  conceal  all  ob- 
,  jects  fi'om  view  except  those  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  and  at  the  same  time  tempered  the  heat  of  the  sun. 
This  contimied  up  to  nearly  0000  feet  above  the  sea,  when  we  snddenly 
emerged  and  saw  the  vast  sheet  of  cloud  spread  like  a  snowy  table-land 


A    PEASANT  WOMAN     OK    HOI>. 


-^ 


;■' 


lit! 


II 

^ 

i 


ii 


f  '  ■, ;; 


ill 


:. 


140 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


between  the  isliuul  and  the  offinc;.  The  entire  absence  of  rnnnlny;  streams, 
and  the  perfect  stilbiess  of  the  air— undisturbed  by  the  music  of  wood- 
land water-falls  or  any  other  appreciable  sound,  except  now  and  then  the 
Voices  of  peasants  descending  the  mountain  under  their  loads  of  brush- 
wood— became  very  noticeable  soon  after  we  left  llealejo. 

Five  thousand  feet  up,  we  left  behind  all  traces  of  vegetation  excejtt 
grass  and  ferns.  The  ferns  kept  us  company  until  we  reached  the  stratum 
of  heather,  as  it  may  be  called.  After  a  while  the  heather  became  scarce, 
and  the  Tetania  began  to  ai)pear,  until,  at  a  height  of  7000  feet,  nothing 
green  was  to  be  seen  but  tufts  of  Tetania.  The  Tetania  is  a  species  of 
broom  peculiar  to  the  Canary  Islands  ;  that  of  Teneriffe  is,  again,  a  dis- 
tinct kind,  found  nowhere  else,  and  never  there  below  GOOO  feet  above  the 
sea.  It  reminds  one  alternately  of  the  yew  and  the  cedar,  reaching  a  very 
good  size  sometimes,  although  diminishing  in  growth  as  one  ascends  the 
mountain.     In  summer  it  is  covered  with  clusters  of  white  flowers. 

The  approach  to  the  Canadas  grew  more  and  more  rugged  and  sterile. 
Pumice-stone,  volcanic  rocks,  and  lava  towers  became  more  frequent,  until 
■we  Unally  scaled  the  slope  which  seemed  to  keep  us  still  Avithin  sight  and 
sound  and  reach  of  life,  and  entered  the  vast  crater  called  the  Canadas, 
on  the  eastern  side,  where  its  sides  are  most  broken.  The  formation  of 
the  peak  now  for  the  first  time  became  clear  and  intelligible  to  me.  We 
found  ourselves  on  the  tioor  of  a  crater  ten  miles  in  diameter,  thirty  miles 
in  circumference,  circular,  but  slightly  elliptical,  in  shape.  This  floor  is 
covered  with  yellow  pumice-stone,  generally  level,  with  here  and  there  a 
moderate  depression,  and  resembling  in  barrenness,  atmospheric  dryness, 
and  concentration  of  heat  a  section  of  the  Desert  of  Sahara.  Around  it 
rise  the  sides  of  the  crater,  sufficiently  bold  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  sur- 
rounding wall,  sometimes  springing  aloft  in  splintered  perpendicular  peaks 
2000  feet  high;  the  loftiest  of  them  is  named  Guajara.  The  soft  purple 
hues  of  these  crater  walls  and  battlements,  contrasted  with  the  sea  of  glar- 
ing pumice-stone,  was  very  beautiful.  Near  the  centre  of  the  Canadas  the 
great  cone  swells  abrui)tly  with  a  dome-like  outline,  suggesting  in  its  pro- 
portions the  peculiar  curve  of  the  cupola  of  St.  Sophia,  although  certainly 
more  steep  as  seen  from  some  points.  The  great  dome  is  supported  on 
the  cast  side  by  the  Montana  Blanca,  a  huge  mouiul  covered  with  pumice- 
stone,  rising  like  a  buttress  from  the  Cailadas.  Vast  cataracts  of  brown 
and  black  lava,  solidified  into  permanent  forms,  corrugate  the  sides  of  the 
peak.  The  peak  or  dome  rises  over  4000  feet  above  the  Canadas,  and 
terminates  in  another  crater,  called  the  Rambleta.  Out  of  the  Rambleta 
rises  the  little  peak  of  Teyde,  or  the  Piton,  GOO  feet  higher,  conical,  and  at 


TENEUIFFE. 


141 


an  angle  excessively  steep,  terminating  in  a  point  and  a  third  diminutive 
crater,  above  which  we  discerned  very  distinctly,  against  the  blue  sky, 
thin  columns  of  white  vapor  shooting  up  with  an  uncertain  motion,  like 
tongues  of  white  flame  from  a  smoulderino:  fire. 

Such  was  the  scene  before  us  as  we  entered  the  Cafiadas,  majestic, 
solitary,  desolate,  beyond  the  power  of  language  to  describe.  It  seemed 
best,  before  going  farther,  to  fortify  ourselves  for  the  additional  labors  of 
the  day  with  a  substantial  lunch ;  and  in  the  absence  of  other  shade  we 
took  shelter  in  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  great  rocks  which  strew  the  Caiia- 
das — a  mystery  to  scientitic  experts,  although  nothing  seemed  plainer  to 


PEAK    OK    TENEIIIFFK,   AS    SEEN    ON     AI'PliOACIllNU    THE    LAIiUE    CliATEIl. 

me  than  that  they  must  have  rolled  down  from  the  lava  torrents  on  the 
slope  of  the  peak. 

A  long  and  hot,  but  not  tedious,  ride  over  the  Canadas  and  the  Mon- 
tana Blanca  at  length  bronght  us  to  the  foot  of  the  peak,  and  to  a  seri- 
ous consideration  of  the  task  yet  to  be  a(!eomplished.  Rugged  Plutonian 
ridges  of  black  lava,  warmed  here  and  there  by  brown  slajr  or  o-leaminff 
in  the  sun  like  glass,  where  a  mass,  breaking  off,  had  left  a  smooth  surface, 
rose  above  us  like  some  Titanic  fortress.  A  very  severe  climb  brought 
us  to  the  Estancia  de  los  Ingleses,  over  10,000  feet  above  the  sea.  Here 
are  some  rocks  so  clustered  as  to  afiPord  a  shelter,  so  that  it  is  generally 
the  spot  where  travellers  halt  for  the  night.     It  has  been  called  after 


11 


tjm 


142 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


, 


1! 

■ 

H 

u 

i. 

1  ■ 

iii 


1.1 


ij- 


•!       / 


•Itors   to  tlic 


tlio  Kii<^lisli,  because  tliey  fiiniihli   the  laigest  uuiubcr 
peuk. 

As  (liiyliu'lit  \v;is  vet  iilmiHliiut,  I  eoiicluded  to  abridije  the  labors  of 
the  iiKjri'ow  by  sisceiuliiig  a  thousand  feet  hii^-her  and  H[)eiidiii;^'  the  iii^ht 
at  Alta  Yista,  a  phiteaii  two  or  three  acres  in  extent,  occupied  by  Profes- 
sor IMazzi  Smyth  when  engaged  in  taking  astronomical  observations  at 
Teneriffe,  in«lS5(3.  He  spent  Bcveral  weeks  on  Guajai-a,  and  tlien  removed 
to  Alta  Vista,  where  he  pursued  his  labors  for  a  month.  The  numerous 
corps  of  attendants  at  his  disposal  enabled  him  to  erect  two  little  huts 
there;  but  few  vestiges  of  these  now  I'emain  to  indicate  that  human  beinji's 
ever  occui)ied  that  lonely  height.  The  ntaiiui,  v;\\'w\\  had  been  growing 
more  and  more  scarce,  ceased,  together  witli  all  other  signs  of  vegetation, 
soon  after  we  left  the  Kstancia,  and  wo  were  obliged  to  caiiT  up  bits  c»f 
dry  rekuna  to  our  halting-place  for  the  fii-e,  which  Avas  indispeiisal)le.  A 
fragment  of  one  of  Professor  Smyth's  walls  afforded  a  partial  shelter;  on 
the  otliei-  side  a  black  nuiss  of  slag  contributed  its  aid,  but  I'oof,  of  course, 
there  was  none.  The  tire  was  soon  going,  but  the  water  the  muleteers 
had  brought  was  so  muddy  that  we  should  have  been  poorly  off  for  tea  if 
thei'e  had  not  been  a  bank  of  snow  within  a  dozen  feet  of  the  tire.  With 
melted  snow  a  delicious  cup  of  tea  was  brewed  very  soon,  but  it  was 
noticeable  how  ra[)idly  it  cooled  at  that  height. 

Below  us  lay  the  yellow  Hoor  of  the  Canadas;  beyond  that,  the  stra- 
tum of  trade-wind  clouds;  and  below  these,  the  sea  fading  into  the  sky. 
Around  us  circled  uiasses  of  lava  presenting  an  astonishing,  singularly 
grotescpie  variety  of  form;  here  a  i-idge  of  Moorish  battlements;  theie 
a  gigantic  goat,  standing  against  the  sky  as  if  startled  and  on  the  alert ; 
then  it  seemed  to  be  a  dragoti  or  a  gritlin  scnli)tured  out  of  lava  that 
met  the  eye.  As  the  view  was  unobstructed  toward  the  east,  we  saw  the 
shadow  of  the  peak  thrown  across  the  sea  at  sunset,  and  reaching  up  to- 
ward the  zenith  as  the  sun  declined.  The  color  of  the  shadow  was  of  the 
most  ex(piisite  purple,  delicate  and  elusive  at  the  edges,  but  at  the  same 
time  very  impressive.  Twilight  was  soon  over,  and  the  full  moon  sud- 
deidy  a))iK'ared.  A  low  wind  from  the  eastward  now  began  to  blow,  in- 
creasing until  it  became  a  gale,  boisterous  and  gusty,  the  blasts  coming 
sometimes  from  every  quarter  at  once,  as  it  seemed  to  us.  This  wind  con- 
tinued all  night,  intensely  searching  and  violent.  The  muleteers  tended 
the  fire,  and  bent  over  it  wrapped  in  their  huge  mantles.  Two  blankets, 
two  coats  and  an  overcoat,  two  pairs  of  pantaloons,  and  a  carpet  under 
and  over  me  were  insufficient  to  drive  away  the  sensation  of  cold,  aiul  I 
slept  not  a  wink  all  night.     Soon  after  3  a.m.  we  took  some  tea,  and  by 


teni:kiifk. 


143 


*]\e  lii;ht  of  a  lantern  started  for  the  summit.  We  entered  immediately 
<»n  the  Malpays,  which  can  vu\y  ha  described  as  a  mass  of  lava  blocks, 
from  one  to  twenty  feet  Ion*:;,  but  ifenerally  not  above  live  feet  sqnai'e, 
of  all  shapes,  heaped  toi^ether  like  ice  hummocks  in  the  most  inconceiva- 
ble manner.  Often  there  were  cavities  between  them,  into  which  one 
inifi;ht  easily  fall  seveial  feet.  The  stones  were  piled  one  over  the  other 
to  an  nnknown  depth,  and  i^reat  caution  was  re(pured  in  si)ringiiig  over 
them,  es[)ecially  with  only  the  dim  glinnner  of  a  )■  ntern  to  guide  us. 
After  climbing  up  a  thousand  feet  over  this  volcanic  debris,  we  came 
again  in  sight  of  the  little  peak,  and,  passing  some  vents,  through  which 
issued  jets  of  vapor,  emerged  on  the  liambleta,  or  second  crater,  which 
is  covered  with  pumice-stone.  We  were  soon  across  this,  and  grai)pled 
with  the  Piton,  which  is  not  less  stee})  than  the  largest  of  the  Pyran.ids, 
but  probably  contains  twice  the  number  of  cubic  feet.  It  is  about  GOO 
feet  in  height,  chiefly  of  pumice-stone,  with  bits  of  rock  projecting  here 
and  there,  and  serving  as  resting-places  for  the  climber.  When  we  were 
half-way  up,  the  sun  burst  suddenly  above  the  sea,  apparently  out  of  in- 
stead of  beyond  it.  The  variety  and  beauty  of  the  tints  in  the  lower  sky 
at  the  time  were  very  remarkable.  The  peculiar  golden -yellow  glow 
thrown  by  the  sun  on  the  tiade-wind  ^  louds  directly  under  it,  which  lasted 
for  two  hours,  was  such  as  I  have  seen  under  no  other  circumstances,  nor 
does  it  appear  to  have  been  observed  by  other  travellei's. 

This  part  of  the  ascent  was  very  fatiguing.  Humboldt  said  that  Tene- 
riffe  was,  with  the  exce[)tion  of  Jurullo,  in  Mexico,  the  most  difficult  moun- 
tain he  had  ever  ascended,  lie  did  not  exaggerate  the  difficulties.  Pro- 
fessor Smyth  rather  takes  him  to  task  for  this  statement,  unreasonably,  as  I 
think,  for  the  professor  did  not  himself  undertake  it  until  he  had  seasoned 
his  lungs  to  the  rarefied  air  on  Guajara  for  six  weeks,  lie  then  spent 
some  days  at  Alta  Vista;  and  after  a  caj)ital  night's  rest,  without  having 
wasted  his  energies  on  the  previous  day  in  climbing,  went  up  to  the  Ram- 
bleta.  There  he  ate  a  hearty  breakfast  before  attempting  the  little  peak, 
and  then,  after  all  this  preparation  and  training,  he  undertakes  to  assure 
us  that  Humboldt,  a  veteran  mountain  Climber,  overestimated  the  difficul- 
ties of  Teneriffe. 

While  we  were  still  over  one  hundred  feet  from  the  summit,  a  gust  of 
wind  suddenly  wafted  the  fumes  of  sulphur  so  stroiii^lv  from  the  crater 
that  for  a  moment  I  was  almost  overcome  by  it ;  but  as  we  ueared  the 
top,  the  oppression  grew  less — a  phenomenon  I  find  it  difficult  to  explain. 
The  crater  which  fitly  terminates  the  celebrated  peak  of  Teneriffe  is  per- 
haps seventy  yards  in  diameter,  with  a  rim  abrupt  and  sharp,  but  rather 


■  ! 


I    H 


mm 


^F"^ 


I  i 
I!    ; 


u-t 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


lower  on  the  western  side.  It  appears  to  be  gradually  filling  np.  Pro- 
fessor Smyth,  twenty  years  ago,  observed  that  it  was  more  shallow  than  as 
described  by  Humboldt  or  Van  l>uek,  and  the  floor  seems  now  still  more 
elevated;  I  say  elevated,  for  that  must  be  the  ]>rocess, since  there  is  noth- 
ing from  outside  to  account  for  the  decreasing  depth.  The  different  tints 
of  the  stones  in  or  on  the  edge  of  the  crater  arc  varied  and  beautiful; 
but  the  prevailing  colors  which  sti'ike  the  eye  are  the  slraw-yellow  and 
pale -green  of  the  sulphur,  which  lies  in  separate  masses,  or  covers  the 
rocks  with  moist  sulphur  crystals.  Vapor  constantly  arose  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  crater,  and  the  soil  was  warm, 
althoui:;h  a  little  snow  still  linj^ered  in  the 
crevices.  The  wind  was  keen  and  violent. 
The  sky  above  was  unclouded,  and  of  a 
deep  azure.  This  intense  hue  of  the  heav- 
ens has  been  the  sid)ject  of  philosophical 
speculation  ;  but  it  Avas  not  as  dark  and 
opaque  as  I  have  repeatedly  seen  it  at  the 
top  of  Pico  Tluivo,  and  other  mountains  of 
Madeii'a,  which  have  only  half  the  altitude 
of  Teneriffe.  Several  thousand  feet  below 
US  the  impenetrable  curtain  of  trade-wind 
cloud  was  spread  like  a  frozen  land  at  the 
jxtle,  and  like  the  sea  dovetailing  with  the 
land,  tilling  every  bay  and  inlet,  and  dash- 
ing surf -like  against  the  cliffs,  yet  calm- 
and  noiseless,  altering  its  forms  so  slowly 
as  to  be  imperceptible.  The  higher  ridges 
towered  above  it  like  islands,  while  here 
and  there  slopes  conld  be  seen  below  it, 
but  veiled  in  a  dark  purple  gloom  that  seemed  to  isolate  them  from  the 
rest  of  the  world  forever.  Bevond  this  cloud-land  arose  the  edge  of  the 
ocean,  joining  the  sky  by  an  invisible  line.  The  trade- wind  caused  a 
haze,  -which  concealed  several  of  the  Fortunate  Isles ;  but  Grand  Canary, 
Ilierro,  Gomera,  and  La  Palma,  with  its  astonishing  outline,  containing  the 
deepest  crater  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  were  quite  distinct.  The  extent 
of  ocean  visible  from  the  Peak  of  Tennriffe  is  nearly  300  miles  in  diam- 
eter in  very  clear  weather,  or  about  900  miles  in  circumference.  In  win- 
ter, when  other  winds  prevail,  the  whole  group  is  distinctly  seen  ;  but  few 
have  ever  cared  to  ascend  the. Peak  when  deep  snows  envelop  it  with 
almost  arctic  austerity. 


S> -X  - 


Lusll.ME    OF    PtlAJANI 


TKNi:UU"TE. 


145 


Oil  rofurniiii>f  over  the  Miil})av8,  wc  st(»j)pc(l  to  examine  tlic  ice-cave, 
wliore,  alone  on  the  mountain,  snow  and  water  can  l»e  found  at  all  tinujs 
of  the  year.  It  would  seem  t<»  he  a  sort  of  vent,  or  air-buhhle,  in  the  lava, 
made  when  it  was  at  its  hottest.  On  icachini;  our  hivouat;,  we  breakfasted 
as  well  as  the  (tircumstanees  would  allow,  and  then  packed  up  the  "traps'" 
aiul  prepared  to  go.  Jjut  the  unexj)eeted  conduct  of  the  mules  delayed 
us  for  nearly  t\vo  hours,  in(;redil)le  as  it  may  ap|)ear.  Three  times  my 
mule  kicked  off  his  saddle,  which,  after  the  girths  were  torn  to  ])ieees,  was 
with  great  ditliculty  nuide  fast  by  a  bit  of  rope.  To  nuMuit  the  brute  was 
about  as  difKcult  as  to  saddle  him.  The  sumpter-mule  also  ustttuished  us 
by  suddenly  laying  back  his  ears,  throwing  up  his  heels  with  a  snort  that 
was  (piite  satanic  in  its  tone,  and,  without  the  slightest  ]>rovocation,  flinging 
the  basket  of  crockery  and  provisions  over  his  head.  Plates,  bottles,  and 
cui)s  were  demolished  in  the  general  wreck.  In  order  to  mount,  I  had  to 
ai)proach  my  mule  from  his  head,  and  seize  my  chance  Avhen  lie  seemed 
exhausted  with  his  diabolical  efforts,  lie  might  have  repeatedly  flung 
me  a  thousand  feet  in  the  air  as  wo  descended  the  precipices  of  Tigay- 
ga,  and  effectually  prevented  the  writing  of  this  veracious  record.  As 
ho  did  not  thus  take  advantage  of  me  when  I  was  on  his  back,  it  is  only 
fair  to  suppose  he  had  a  little  conscience  left,  and  he  should  have  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt,  since  I  finally  succeeded  in  rea(^hing  Oi'()ta\a  with- 
out further  mishaj)  than  a  face  burned  ahnost  bey(»nd  recognition  by  the 
winds  of  the  Peak  and  the  scorching  sun  of  the  Cafiadas. 

LO 


,-:i!J!^ 


If[^ 

i  1'. 

*     \i 

• 


14G 


TMK  ATLAN'riC    ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  vir. 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


I 


i|% 


m 

III 


1    ■ 

1 

lil 

;  1 

1      : 

III 

II 

1 

1 

|j^ AIILY  in  August,  I  took  passage  in  tlio  little  English  brig-sclioonor 
-"-*'  Cuii'a,  for  St.  .lohns,  Newfoundland.  It  was  Ji  i)k'asant  morning 
when  we  cast  off  from  Long  Wharf,  and  dropped  down  the  harbor  be- 
fore a  light  breeze,  which  gradually  fanned  the  deeply  laden  ci-aft  out- 
side of  Boston  Light.  The  wind  freshened,  and  everything  promised  fair 
until  after  nightfall,  when  the  heavy  curtain  of  gloom  which  overhung 
the  land  behind  us,  from  whence  iss\ied  ominous  flashes,  and  the  low  growl 
of  distant  thunder  indicated  a  severe  storm  travelling  along  the  shore. 
It  was  evident  after  a  while,  from  the  increasing  vividness  of  the  light- 
ning and  the  mist  that  was  encircling  us,  that  we  were  not  to  esca])e  a 
touch  of  ihe  storm.  About  midnight  the  wind  struck  us  with  the  force 
of  a  heavy  s(puill  from  the  south-west.  The  storm  was  moving  in  a  circle. 
We  were  now  past  Cape  Cod ;  so  the  brig  ran  for  an  hour  under  easy  sail 
before  the  gale,  when,  finding  the  wind  likely  to  hold,  Cajttain  Byrnes 
hove  to  under  close-reefed  foretop-sail,  and  fore  and  main  staysails.  The 
sea  was  rising  fast;  but  the  Clara  rode  like  a  duck,  dry  and  easy  on  the 
seething  waters,  and  about  sunrise  the  force  of  the  gale  blew  itself  out. 
An  observation  at  noon  showed  us  to  have  been  driven,  by  wind  and  cur- 
rents combined,  to  the  south  of  the  "Georges.''  All  sail  was  now  nuide, 
and  I  then  had  an  opportunity  to  take  a  cpiiet  survey  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany. 

All  on  board  were  natives  of  Newfoundland,  excepting  the  ca})tain, 
who  was  a  native  of  Dublin  ;  a  Prussian  before  the  mast — the  best  sailor 
on  board;  and  the  writer;  and  all,  Avith  two  exceptions,  were  of  Irish 
descent,  and  good  "Ttomans."  I  shared  the  dimimitive  cabin  with  four 
seal-hunters  and  sailors,  who  had  turned  junk-dealers  for  the  nonce,  and 
had  just  disposed  of  a  cargo  of  jmdc  in  Boston,  and  were  returning  with 
an  assorted  cargo,  part  of  which — a  deck-load  of  apples — contributed  to- 
ward making  the  brig  roll  hard,  and  so  overcrowded  the  deck  that  it  was 
a  ticklish  operation  passing  fore  and  aft  in  bad  weather  to  shorten  sail. 


NKWroi'XDhANl). 


147 


wlioti  l)loclvS  and  shoots  v,o\v  stmppiiii^  riii'ii)iisly,  and  slip  was  layiiiij  lior 
scMipiicrs  under.  A  yount;  tncM-lianic,  with  his  wife!  and  another  young 
woman,  coniplftcd  tho  list  of  ^p'r^'if-class  jiassonijors.  The  young  wife  waa 
very  prc^tty,  but  she  had  a  temper  rougher  than  a  file,  aiul  a  sea-voyage 
did  not  imi)rove  it.  To  say  that  the  aeeommodations  were  of  the  most 
limited   and   ])rimitive   character,  and   that  the   fan;  was  far   inferior  to 


.--^    r 


TlIK    Sl'dl  T    UKF    <A1'K     llliuVLh. 


what  is  furnished  to  seamen  in  the  forecastle  of  American  ships,  is  no 
exaggeration.  Salt  juidc  of  the  very  worst  description,  and  pilot-bread 
iiighly  seasoned,  with  the  flavor  of  the  kerosene  oil  and  tar  in  the  run, 
formed  our  diut,  with  a  few  potatoes,  which  soon  gave  out,  and  some  to- 
matoes, intended  for  the  owner,  but  served  out  to  us  in  small  rations  as 
fast  as  they  decayed.  The  unfailing  good-humor  of  Captain  Byrnes,  whose 
broad  face  presided  bcnignantly  at  the  table  which  he  and  the  owner  had 


if-' 

I  if 


m 


m 


I 


us 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


conspired  to  fnrnisli  so  meagrely,  and  the  Attic  salt  and  Irish  wit  of  the 
junk-dealers, M'ore  of  soine  avail  in  covering;  the  deticiencies  of  the  CIara''t< 
lockei's.  Notliins:  could  exceed  the  ijarrulousness  of  these  worthy  island- 
ors;  and  only  the  Hashes  of  mMniine  humor  and  wit  which  enlivened  theii- 
talk  made  their  everlasting  chatter  endurable.  Early  and  late  they  main- 
tained the  Avordy  Donnybrouk,  the  endless  discussions  on  questions  sug- 
gested by  their  own  exi)erience  regarding  salvage,  invoices,  the  rights  of 
ships  as  cari'iers,  quirks  of  marine  law,  the  treatment  of  wives,  and  the 
like — all  stale  and  prosy  enough,  but  lendered  novel  by  the  animation, 
earnestness,  dogmatism,  and  occasional  shrewdness  displayed,  and  the 
strongly  marked  individuality  of  the  si)eakers.  The  debates  were  always 
spiced  by  the  sallies  of  Johnnie  ]*\'ene,  who,  though  usually  on  the  wrong 
side  of  an  avgument,  often,  by  a  neat  re]>artec,  threw  unexpected  confusion 
into  the  i-anks  of  the  ()p[)Osition.  Amidst  a  nund)er  of  pithy  sentiments 
which  passed  at  random  from  one  side  to  the  other,  two  or  three  struck 
me  as  meaning  more  than,  perhajis,  the  speakers  themselves  realized  at  the 
time.  Said  one  of  the  disputants,  "Ay,  but  remember,  sur,  that  Xew- 
foundland  is  two  cinturies  behind  the  times;"  a  strange  admission  from 
an  old  sea-dog,  and  a  lioman  Catholic  at  that,  who  boasted  elsewhere  of 
the  influence  of  Ifomanism  on  the  island. 

Another  said,  ''  Maybe  ye'ie  right,  but  thin  there's  a  gi-eat  difference  be- 
tween justice  and  law."  So  there  is,  my  man,  thought  1;  and  bad  luck  to 
them  that  have  wrought  this  divorce  between  right  and  intellectual  might! 

A  third,  in  reply  to  the  observation,  "  Shure,  but  ivory  man  defers  to 
his  own  opinion,"  replied,  "And  of  eoorse;  for  ivery  man's  miud  is  a  king- 
dom to  him."  Xow,  here  was  a  man  who  could  not  be  accused  of  ever 
having  reatl  "Percy's  Ileliques,"  or  any  extracts  tlierefi'om,  giving  utter- 
an<;e  to  this  idea  in  woi'ds  almost  identical  with  the  first  line  of  the  beau- 
tiful piece  well  known  to  all  lovers  of  English  poetry,  "  ^ly  mind  to  me 
a  kingdom  is."  The  fact  is,  that  the  same  thoughts  in  similar  language 
often  occur  to  different  minds  without  collusion,  in  different  ages  and 
countries  ;  and  ^yhat  critics  who  have  not  studied  their  own  or  others' 
mental  i»hascs  choose  to  stigmatize  as  plagiarism,  is  of  nmch  less  frecjnent 
occurrence  than  they  represent.  Indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  very 
often  this  charge  is  made  simply  that  the  critic  nuiy  dis})lay  his  own  ac- 
qiiaintance  with  the  passage  he  cites,  in  proof  of  the  charges  so  lightly 
adduced  by  his  ofticious  pen.  •'-*■*• 

But  if  theie  was  one  topic  more  discussed  by  these  junk  philosophers 
tlian  another,  it  was  the  supernatural.  Ihishnell  would  have  found  them 
in  full  accord  as  to  the  reality  of  the  supernatural  and  its  relation  to  nat- 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


U9 


lire;  and  Robert  Dale  Owen's  "Foot-fallri  on  the  Ijoundary  of  Another 
World"  contains  nothinii;  more  startlinii'  than  the  weird,  nivsterlons  varns 
which  were  nii;'htly  told  ironi  actnal  personal  experience  in  the  little 
crowded  cabin  ot"  the  Chii'd ;  told,  too,  in  earnest  tone  to  listeners  who 
heard  with  bated  breath,  and,  on  occasion,  corroborated  the  truth  of  the 
most  impossildc  incidents.  J5v  attending:  with  becomin:;  ijravitv  and  an 
air  of  implicit  faith,  which,  sooth  to  tell,  almost  tnrned  sometimes  into 
actnal  belief,  1  w;i-  permitted  to  hear  the  story  of  many  a  rare  adventure 
or  encounter  with  the  powers  of  darkness. 

As  1  listened  one  nii>;ht  by  tlu^  smoky  lantern,  with  the  ojravity  of  a 
thorough  believer,  the  captain  asked  me  in  a  whisper  how  1  could  keep 


tNTIIANCK    TO    TllK     IIAlillOU    OF     ST.    JOHNS. 


such  a  sober  face,  for  lie  knew  I  did  not  believe  a  word  that  was  said,  and 
ho  did  not  believe  more  than  half  of  it  himself. 

"Ah  !  but  don't  you  sec,"  1  rctilied,  "  that  if  I  were  to  laugh,  or  appear 
incredulous,  it  would  shut  them  right  up?  And  I  like  to  hear  a  good  yarn 
as  well  as  anv  man."' 

One  of  the  narrators  had  fought  an  hour  with  the  body  of  a  deceased 
friend;  another  had  been  stop])cd  on  the  public  road  to  Watorfoi'd  Ih'idge 
by  a  "sperrit"  in  the  shape  of  a  black  dog;  another  had  been  within  an 
ace  of  recovering  hidden  "threasure"  from  a  foundered  frigate;  while  a 
foui'th  had  assisted  in  drawing  "an  irron  ehist  of  threasurc"  to  the  water's 
edge,  when  the  ghost  of  a  man,  who  had  lieen  killed  and  buried  with  it  to 
keep  watch  over  it,  suddenly  apjtcared,  and,  giving  him  a  blow  in  the  face, 
spirited  the  chest  away,  nevermore  to  be  seen  by  mortal  eye. 


1 

: 

1 

1 

i 
i 

j 

1 

150 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


.Tohnnio  Fecne,  of  course,  liad  his  quota  of  marvels  to  relate,  all  of 
tlieni  sutlieieutly  eutertaiuinii".  One  of  his  stories  recounted  the  ex})eri- 
euce  of  a  fi-iend  who,  four  years  i)revi(»uslv,  had  left  his  family  starviuir 
at  IJav  of  i>ulls  villa^'e,  and  g'oue  to  St.  .luhiis  iu  search  of  emplovmeut. 
Failiui:;  of  this,  he  started  for  home,  and  Mas  met  after  niy;htfall  by  a 
black  doix,  M'ho  addressed  him,  and  then  assuming  hunum  shape,  informed 
him  that  he  \vas  an  enchanted  jierson  lixed  by  a  spell  in  a  subterranean 
cavern  near  the  J'ay  of  Hulls,  and  that  his  enchantment  could  only  be 
abated  bv  the  entrance  of  some  t)ne  sufKcientlv  bi)l(l  to  brave  the  u'nar- 
dians  of  the  caye  and  carry  thence  the  riches  it  contained. 

Overjoyed  at  the  su<>-gestion,  the  fisherman  j>'ladly  volunteered  to  accom- 
pany the  enchanted  stran<:;er,  who  accordingly  intrt)duced  him  to  a  sub- 
terranean hall,  vast,  and  gorgeous  with  Oriental  magniticence,  where  the 
wealth  of  the  Indies  lay  api)ai'ently  at  his  disjjosal,  and  he  had  it  in  liis 
power  not  oidy  to  relieve  the  poverty  of  his  c(.)ndition,  but  also  to  become 
the  most  opulent  of  Queen  *'  N'icthoria's"  subjects,  ihit  suddenly  he  was 
assailed  by  a  troop  oi"  unwholesome  ghouls,  who  so  disturbed  his  i"est)lu- 
tion  that  he  lied  to  tlu^  upper  air,  renouiujing  j^ossession  of  the  riches  in 
his  grasp,  and  leaving  the  enchanted  nuin  enchanted  there  forever. 

Very  naturally,  I.  was  led  to  conclude  that  a  nu)re  behaimted,  Ix^- 
witched,  and  ghost-ridden  country  nowhere  exists  than  this  same  New- 
foundland, which  seemed  to  be  an  outlying  station  of  Pandemonium,  as 
full  of  hidden  treasures  as  the  old  haunts  of  Captain  Kidd,  as  beset  with 
eiH'hantmeuts  as  the  brain  of  Don  Quixote,  as  ])acked  with  ill-omened 
spirits  as  Alloway  Kirk.  The  imagination  of  tliese  prosaic,  storm-beaten 
old  fisher, nen  of  Labrador  teems  witli  the  feverish  fancies  of  a  nervous 
child.  The  black  dog  figures  in  most  of  their  legends,  and  is  evidently 
the  bcle  noir  of  the  Kewfoundlandic  imagination. 

But  all  this  time  we  were  ssiiling  toward  our  destination  slowly,  but 
steadily.  The  dashing  tide-rips  indicated  that  we  w'cre  on  the  "Georges," 
''  the  graveyard  of  Cape  Ann,"  as  those  shoals  are  rightly  regarded,  and 
the  fishing-schooners  dotting  the  offing  showed  we  were  on  the  fishing- 
grounds.  It  is  very  strange  that  no  light-ship  lias  ever  been  stationed  on 
these  dauiierons  shoals:  nuuiy  a  shin  must  have  ihet  her  fate  on  (Jultiva- 
tor's  Ledge,  where  the  dej)th  is  but  three  feet  at  mean  low  tide.  It  is  not 
too  late  for  Government  to  put  up  a  beacon  there,  and  thus  mitigate  the 
perils  of  one  of  the  sailor's  worst  foes.  A  south-wester  took  us  tow^ird 
Sable  Island,  but  the  currents  seemed  to  combine  with  calms  to  set  us 
nearer  a  direct  line  with  that  island  than  was  comfortable.  Somehow  the 
brig  failed  to  make  th  y  desired  northina:,  and  two  successive  observations 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


151 


(lid  not  allay  the  difficiilfy.  It  hap])encd  about  tins  time  that  I  took  a 
trick  at  the  wheel.  We  wei'c  riimiin^  with  the  wind  just  abaft  of  the  star- 
board quarter,  and  1  noticed  that  the  vessel,  being  too  much  l)y  the  head 
and  carrying  too  weather  a  helm,  from  the  pressure  of  her  iai'ge  main-sail, 
''gri[)ed" — that  is,  had  a  tendency  to  ily  into  the  wind — which  rather  aided 
in  giving  us  a  drift  to  starboard.  On  informing  the  ca[)tain  of  this,  he 
inunediately  took  in  the  main-sail  and  gaff-topsail,  and  ke[)t  the  vessel  away 
two  points.  The  next  observation  indicated  a  very  decided  imjn'ovement 
in  the  ship's  course,  and  on  the  following  day  we  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  in  the  southern  horizon  the  low  globular  clouds  called  wool-packs, 
which  in  clear  M'eather  hang  over  the  island  and  show  where  it  lies  when 
too  distant  to  be  visible. 


AsrbNT    TO    A    "  FLAKE." 


Sable  Island  is  the  bugbear  of  the  mariners  coasting  in  its  vicinity. 
It  is  so  low  that  it  cannot  be  descried  until  close  at  hand ;  and  is  besides 
enveloped  in  dense  fogs  half  the  time,  and  so  beset  with  swift  tides  and 
currents  as  to  make  it  a  very  treacherous  spot.  Simply  a  sand-bank  scarce 
elevated  above  the  ocean  level,  its  sands  are  constantly  shifting  and  alter- 
ing its  shape;  so  easily,  in  fact,  are  its  sands  blown  to  and  fro,  that  ship- 
masters who  are  wrecked  there  are  recommended  to  make  no  effort  to 
escape,  as  the  sand  will  at  once  begin  to  gather  around  the  grounded  ves- 
sel a  J  form  a  breakwater  that  will  enable  the  crew  to  escape  at  their 
leisure.  So  soft  and  yielding  is  the  beach  that,  some  years  ago,  on  a  quiet 
mooidight  night,  a  vessel  went  ashore  there  so  easily  that  none  of  the  crew 
were  aware  when  it  happened ;  the  watch  were  asleep,  including  the  man 
at  the  wheel ;  the  captain  was  in  his  bunk.     And  there  she  lay  until  day- 


(  11 


li  ■ 


i 


I* 


152 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


light;  tlien  the  master  went  oti  tleck,<iii(l  l)ch()kl !  his  vessel  was  hopelessly 
agruniid  on  Sable  Island  !  lie  afterward  received  another  ship,  bnt  con- 
trived to  leave  her  ribs  also  bleaching  on  the  same  nnhicky  spot,  and  it  is 
almost  needless  to  say  M'as  not  again  intrusted  with  a  command.  The 
island  is  inhabited  only  by  a  corps  of  Govermnent  wreckers,  who  (H)mmn- 
nicate  with  the  main-land  once  a  month,  and  two  or  three  hnndred  wild 
ponies,  bred  from  a  stock  wrecked  there  in  colonial  times. 

From  Sable  Island  we  beat  up  abreast  of  Canso,  and  made  S(tatari 
Light,  at  the  extreme  eastern  end  of  ('ape  Breton,  on  the  tenth  evening. 
Louisbnrg,  or  what  grass-covered  mounds  remain  of  that  once  famous  for- 
tress, lay  hidden  in  the  gloom  to  leevrard,  even  its  light  being  invisible. 
The  light-kee})er  had  prol)ably  gone  off  to  a  dance.  It  was  a  black  night, 
and  unpleasantly  calm  considering  the  proximity  of  the  shore,  and  that 
the  tide  was  swinging  us  helplessly  toward  the  rocks,  against  which  Ave 
could  hear  more  and  more  distinctly  the  deep  rote  of  the  long  ocean  swell. 
But  about  nine  we  heard  a  wind  rushing  over  the  water,  which  soon  tilled 
our  sails,  and  sent  us  plunging  toward  Cape  Race,  three  hnndred  and  fifty 
miles  away ;  and  a  race  indeed  we  had  of  it,  running  befoi-e  a  stiff  breeze 
under  press  of  sail,  rolling  gunwale  under  in  the  heavy  following  surges, 
the  por])oises  playing  around  the  foaming  bow  with  ])hosphorescent  trail, 
and  not  rarely  a  huge  whale  starting  up  ami  spouting  along-side.  ()n(! 
fine  morning  a  school  of  eight  whales — good-si/.ed  fellows — passed  close 
astern,  remaining  at  the  surface  and  tossing  smoke-like  jets  of  spray  into 
the  air  for  some  time. 

Those  who  voyage  in  steamboats,  while  they  guin  in  comforts  suitable 
to  the  invalid,  lose,  on  the  other  hand,  much  of  the  zest  and  flavor  of  sea- 
life.  Not  for  them  is  the  adventurous  sensation  imparted  to  one  who 
roughs  it  in  a  sailing-vessel,  and  enjoys  the  variety  and  excitement  which 
come  with  the  trimming  of  sails  and  the  management  of  a  ship  in  a  blow. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  constant  grund)le  of  a  steamer's  machinery  ])revents 
a  full  appreciation  of  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  ocean,  deadening  the  wash 
of  the  waves  and  the  sublime  chant  of  the  wind  in  the  riiri^-inii;.  For  the 
voyager  on  the  sailing-vessel  is  reserved  that  most  weird  of  ocean  sounds, 
the  nuittering  and  shrieking  of  Mother  Carey's  chickens — those  wandering 
gypsies  of  the  sea — floating  over  the  water  through  the  gloom  of  a  dark 
night,  like  the  eldrich  laughter  of  lost  spirits.  Only  on  a  sailing-vessel 
can  one  realize  in  any  degree  what  the  navigators  of  other  days  have  en- 
dured, and  imagine,  as  he  tosses  on  the  buffeting  surges,  that  he  is  bound 
with  the  intrepid  Yasco  to  discover  the  Indies,  with  Columbus  seeks  to 
evoke  land  from   an   mdaiown  void,  with  Magalhaens  is  encircling  the 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


153 


globe,  or  with  Raleiuli  or  Sir  Ilmiiplircy  Gilbert  is  traversing  the  ei)tlless 
spaces  of  waves  to  discover  El  Dorado  or  (pinff  at  the  fountain  of  youth. 
On  the  thirteenth  day  out  wo  sighted  ('ape  Mary's,  and  stood  all 
day  along  the  southern  coast  of  Newfoundland.  Small  tlshing-schooners 
were  numerous,  noticeable  for  their  black  sails,  dyecl  in  oil  and  tar  to 
make  them  durable.  whi(th  entirely  ruins  the  picturescpie  appearance  usual 
to  tishing  craft,  and  aids  to  give  a  melancholy  aspe(^t  to  a  shore  that  is 
already  sufficiently  barren  and  dismal.  No  other  signs  of  life  were  visible 
from  dawn  until  m'ghtfall,  except  two  or  three  tishing  huts,  and  the  light- 
houses on  Cape  Pine  and  Cajie  Race.  Having  a  leading  wind  and  no 
fog,  we  passed  within  half  a  mile  of  the  latter,  so  famous  for  its  ship- 


CAl'E     IIAT. — TKLEGHAPIl     HOUSE. 


wrecks.  It  is  altogether  a  very  cheerfid  spot,  invested  with  the  most 
agreeable  associations.  In  Trej)assy  I>ay,  close  at  hand,  for  example,  four 
ocean  steamers  have  been  lost,  two  within  a  year,  with  all  on  board;  and 
just  beyond,  scarce  a  mile  north  of  the  cape,  is  the  graveyard  on  the  cliff, 
where  those  are  buried  whose  bodies  were  recovered  by  divers  from  the 
Anglo-Saxon^  which  struck  in  a  fog,  and  went  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
beetling  crags.  The  Citij  of  PhlJadelphia  was  wrecked  i;ot  far  from  the 
same  spot,  as  well  as  many  other  ill-fated  vessels. 

Under  press  of  sail  we  glided  up  the  eastern  coast  of  the  island,  which 
welcomed  us  with  a  succession  of  chilling  s(pialls  from  the  high  land, 
which,  with  but  one  or  two  exceptions,  is  the  formation  of  this  part  of 
Newfoundland,  There  was  nothing  invitiiig  in  the  prospect.  The  rocky 
shore  was  like  a  huge  wall  falling  sheer  down  most  forbiddingly,  seamed 
here  and  there  by  deep  gulches,  at  the  bottom  of  which  two  or  three  fish- 


v/ 


p 


154 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


eniieii's  huts  niiL!;lit  be  clisccnied  at  ](>n<ij  intervals.  ]\[i(hvaj  between  Cape 
Uace  and  St.  Johns  \\i'.  past^ed  Cape  IJruyle,  a  forbidding  headland,  which 
is  piiM'ced  by  a  cavity  called  the  Spont.  In  easterly  g-ales  the  rush  of  the 
sea  forces  the  water  up  like  a  whale -spoilt,  with  a  sound  of  thundci'. 
When  we  i-ounded  Cape  ISpear,  whose;  lii;ht  is  870  feet  above  the  sea,  tlu^ 
scene  oidy  became  more  grand  and  desolate.  Hefore  us,  in  the  north, 
towered  Sugar  Loaf,  like  a  stupendous  bastion  ol'  some  sea-fortress;  and 
as  we  sheered  to  the  westward,  the  houses  of  St.  Johns  were  visible  as 
through  a  telescope  at  the  end  of  a  deep  gulch  or  channel,  sc^arce  two  ca- 
bles'-length  in  width,  guarded  on  either  hand  by  vast  perpendicular  cliffs. 
Signal  lJill,on  the  north  side  of  the  entrance,  soars  to  a  height  of  7oO  feet. 
A  wheezinii:  little  tui^;  came  out  and  towed  us  throuiih  the  channel  into 
the  snuggest  pocket  of  a  harbor  in  the  world,  and  laid  us  along-side  the 
wharf  of  the  I'nited  States  consul,  the  owner  of  the  brig. 

St.  .Fohns  is  a  place  of  about  23.000  inhabitants.  It  sti'agglcs  i-ather 
aimlessly  along  the  water  and  up  a  slope,  and  is  a  cross  between  an  Irish 
and  an  English  seaport,  and,  excei)t  as  it  therel)y  represents  an  anomaly 
belonging  rather  to  the  Old  than  to  the  Xew  World,  offers  nothing  especi- 
ally worthy  of  note.  The  streets  abound  with  dogs  almost  as  if  it  wei-e  a 
Turkish  city,  generally  of  mongrel  breeds,  and  burdened  by  a  billet  of 
wood  hung  to  the  neck,  which  i-enders  them  hannless.  So  numerous  arc 
dogs  in  the  habited  regions,  and  so  mischievous  to  the  Hocks,  that  the 
laws  of  the  island  permit  any  one  to  shoot  them  at  sight.  Ihit  while  other 
curs  are  so  common,  individuals  of  the  genuine  Xewfoundlandic  stock  ai-e 
scarce,  and  fetch  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  dollars.  The  breed  is  con- 
sequently guarded  with  great  care,  but  seems,  nevertheless,  to  be  dying  out. 
No  dog  that  is  not  entirely  jet-black,  and  has  not  the  Aveb-foot  and  dew- 
claw,  is  of  the  umnixed  Newfoundland  breed. 

The  port  of  St.  Johns  is  small,  but,  as  before  observed,  well  sheltered, 
and  presents  in  summer-time  a  bustling  appeara;  ce,  being  crowded  with 
vessels  of  all  nations.  On  entering  the  passage  to  the  harbor  a  pungent 
"ancient  lishy  smell"  informs  the  stranger  wdiat  is  the  trade  of  the  island. 
The  energies  of  the  islanders  are  devoted  to  the  seal  and  cod  fisheries. 
Early  in  March  the  seal-hunters,  as  the  sealing-vessels  are  called,  put  to 
sea,  cutting  a  way  out  through  the  ice  if  necessary,  and  strike  directly 
for  the  ice-fields  in  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  where  the  seals  congregate 
in  great  numbers.  From  iifty  to  seventy-tive  men  go  in  a  sealer,  their 
bunks  being  ranged  gallery-like  along  the  hold.  Half  the  proceeds  go  to 
the  crew,  half  to  the  owner  or  planter.  Thirty  pounds  are  a  fair  average 
per  man,  thirty-six  pounds  being  occasionally  made  in  one  trip;  and  two 


NEWFOLNDLANI). 


155 


trips  arc  soinotimos  tukeri    in   the  season,  whicli  lasts   until  JMay,      The 
•scalers  are  usually  hrigaulines,  and  are  soiiiewliat  \vetlg(;- shaped  in  the 


l|lrf/; 


, 


M 


Hoor,  so  that  when  nipped  by  the  iee,  they  are  raised  up  instead  of  bein^ 
crushed,  slippiui^  back  into  the  water  when  the  ice  parts.  Nevertheless, 
serious  mishaps  not  rarely  occur.     Latterly  a  few  screw-steamers,  carry- 


laMi 


y 


fij 


:- 


156 


TIIK    ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


iiii^  150  to  200  inon.luivc  boon  iiitrodiuiod  ;  their  crews  share  only  a  third 
of  the  rocei]»ts,  hut  the  increased  rapidity  oL'  locomotion  enables  them  to 
li^ain  e(pial  prolits  with  the  other  crews. 

The  best  seals  are  those  called  M'hitecaps,  harps,  and  hoods;  the  lat- 
ter are  so  named  becanse  the  males,  when  attacked,  protecit  tlieir  faces  by 
a  cartilaginous  visor,  liard  as  India-rubber  and  impenetiable  to  the  spear. 
Two  men  are  retpiisite  to  kill  these — one  to  divert  the  attention  of  the 
seal,  while  the  other  thrusts  the  lance  throudi  the  throat.  The  men  cm- 
ployed  in  this  business  wear  snow-spectacles,  formed  of  blue  ijlass,  and 
protected  on  the  sides  by  a  fine  net-work  of  wire,  but  even  thus  do  not 
always  cscaj)e  a  touch  of  snow-blindness,  which  is  very  common  and  pain- 
fully acute. 

The  cod-iisheries  of  Newfoundland  are  even  more  profitable  than  seal- 
catchin<^.  Not  only  do  her  lishermen  resort  to  the  Baidvs,  but  all  aloiif:^ 
the  shore  in  her  si)aci(»us  bays  they  ''till  the  farm  that  pays  no  fee,"  and 
the  stages  and  "Hakes,"  or  platforms,  for  drying  the  fish  are  to  be  seen  at 
every  handet,  crossing  above  the  street  like  vine  trellises  in  Ital}',  bearing 
a  fruit  less  fragrant  and  graceful,  l)ut  not  less  useful — codlish  destined 
fi»r  the  nourishment  of  good  Catholics  the  world  over,  so  long  as  Tuesdays 
and  Fridavs  and  Lent  continue  sacred  to  cod.  It  is  interesting,  when 
walking  in  the  suburbs  of  St.  Johns  of  a  pleasant  day,  to  see  the  women 
and  boys,  who  cure  the  fish  while  the  men  are  gone  to  sea,  driving  carts 
into  town  from  Quidy  Vidy,  Empty  I'asket,  and  other  little  iishing  ports, 
drawn  by  diminutive  ponies  and  laden  with  salt  fish  reaily  to  be  shii)ped 
to  distant  lands.  In  other  countries  the  peasantry  fiock  to  the  shire-town 
with  vegetables  and  fruits,  the  ])roduct  of  the  gardens  and  viney.ard. 
Iti  Newfoundland  it  is  codfish  that  the  peasantiy  carry  to  the  market- 
town. 

And  yet,  although  the  profits  of  the  seal  and  cod-fisheries  are  large, 
and  all  on  the  island  are  in  some  way  connected  with  what  is  virtually  its 
sole  business,  poverty  of  the  most  abject  character  is  the  rule  among  all 
but  a  very  few.  This  business  is  under  the  (iontrol  of  monopolists,  and 
presents,  by  the  way  it  is  managed,  an  instructive  example  of  what  may 
result  when  the  sense  of  mutual  interest  which  should  bind  capital  and 
labor  is  forgotten.  Twelve  men,  most  of  whom  reside  in  Englaiul,  and 
carry  on  the  business  through  agents  in  Newfoundland,  furnish  the  capi- 
tal on  which  the  fisheries  are  conducted ;  consequently  a  large  portion  of 
the  profits  does  not  remain  in  the  country,  but  is  taken  abroad  to  be  dis- 
tributed elsewhere.  But  this  is  a  minor  evil  compared  with  the  iron 
clutch  by  which  these  capitalists  hold  every  fisherman,  as  it  were,  by  the 


NEWFOUNDLAND. 


157 


throat,  scarcely  perinittiii£j  him  to  draw  breath  without  their  leave.  The 
truck  syssteni,  so  ])Owert'iilly  rebuked  in  I'arlianient,  and  wurkiui:;  disas- 
trously in  sonic  of  the  Pennsylvania  mines,  is  in  full  force  In  Newfound- 
land. The  capitalists,  in  return  for  the  iish,  pay  the  fishermen  in  kind; 
that  is,  furnish  them  with  all  the  sui)i)lies  for  supporting  theii'  families 
or  cairying  on  their  vocation,  so  managing  as  to  oblige  them  to  draw 
in  advance  of  the  j)rotits  of  the  still  ungathered  crops  of  fish  or  seals — a 
draft  on  the  future — and  contrive  that  the  accoinit  shall  always  so  stand 
as  to  leave  the  poor  tishermaji,  already  rendered  improvident  by  this  pratj- 
tice,  always  in  debt,  and  thus  always  in  the  power  of  the  capitalist.  In 
addition  to  this,  the   capitalists  or  their  agents  meet  in  a  club  or  JJoard 


;i; 


CLEANING    FISH, 


of  Trade  room  at  stated  periods,  and  arrange  among  themselves  the  val- 
ues to  be  placed  on  the  sui)plies  furnished  to  the  fishermen  in  their  em- 
ploy, and  from  these  prices,  be  they  never  so  high,  there  is  no  appeal, 
nor,  from  the  situation  of  affairs,  is  there  any  remedy  to  be  provided 
against  the  repetition  of  the  extortion,  (ii'adually,  but  surely,  has  this 
tremendous  tyranny  gained  strength  on  the  island,  and,  so  long  as  they 
remain  under  :ie  })resent  (Tovernmcnt.  shuts  out  all  hope  or  power  of 
improvement  or  progress  in  the  condition  of  the  islanders,  or  of  the  devel- 
opment of  the  mineral  and  agricultural  resources  wlricli  Xewfoundland 
undoubtedly  possesses  in  a  remarkable  degi'ce. 

The  island  has  nearly  the  superficial  area  of  New  England,  and  yet  with 
a  population  of  only  a  trifle  over  150,000  ;  and  these,  with  the  exception  of 


i 


1 58 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


St.  Johns  and  TTarhor  (xnicc,  are  doled  out  along  the  singularly  indented 
and  irregular  coast  in  little  settlements  of  half  a  do/.en  (jahins,  widely  sep- 
arated fi-oni  each  other;  and  even  this  meagre  civilization  is  confined  to 
the  seaboard.  Immediately  on  striking  inland,  one  comes  to  ihe  ])rimeval 
forests  of  spruce  and  pine,  which  are  about  as  destitute  of  traces  of  the  su- 
preme Caucasian  race  as  if  (>olumI)us  had  never  been  born.  Half  a  cen- 
tury ago,  one  white  man,  with  an  Indian  guide,  crossed  frojn  the  eastern 
to  the  western  coast,  and  Mrote  a  valuable  account  of  his  trip  and  of  tlu; 
interior  wilds ;  but  no  one  has  followed  in  his  track  until  within  five  or 
six  years  since,  and  the  deer  still  migrate  unmolested  from  north  to  south 
with  the  change  of  the  seasons.  The  few  IMicmac  Indians  remaining  live 
(;hieriy  along  the  northern  shore.  The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  a  rail- 
road will  traverse  the  island  from  Cui)e  Ray  to  Trinity  Bay  or  St.  Johns, 
conTiecting  with  a  lino  of  transatlantic  steamers.  From  Cape  Ray  to  Cape 
North,  on  Cape  Breton  Island,  it  is  only  forty  mil(?s,  and  travellers  afraid 
of  sea-sickness  or  pressed  for  time  could  thus  reduce  the  distance  by  water 
between  Xew  York  ami  Liverpool  1200  miles. 

The  Roman  Catholics  have,  in  former  time,  been  in  excess  of  the  Prot- 
estants of  the  island,  and,  as  elsewhere,  have  characteristically  secured  the 
most  commanding  site  in  St.  Johns  for  their  cathedral,  which  is  the  first 
object  that  meets  the  eye  on  entei-ing  the  port,  its  imi)osing  Italian  archi- 
tecture suggesting  similar  scenes  in  the  j\Iediterranean,  and  its  size  and 
position  leading  a  stranger  to  infer  that  opulence  and  numbei's  are  mo- 
nopolized by  the  Romanists;  but  the  exterior  is  far  more  showy  than  the 
interior,  whicb  is  cold  and  barn-like,  finished  off  with  crumbling  stucco, 
and  poorly  ornamented  with  cheap  copies  after  the  ISIasters. 

The  last  census,  however,  showed  that  the  Protestant  element  is  gain- 
itig,  and  is  now  in  a  respectable  majority,  chiefly  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, but  including  a  fair  proportion  of  Scotch  Presbyterians  and  Wes- 
leyans.  The  Anglican  Bishop  of  Newfoundland  presides  over  the  most 
extraordinary  dio(u'sc  in  Christendom.  The  see  may  almost  literally  be 
termed  the  sea;  for  while  it  is  the  largest  in  limits  in  the  world,  it  is 
almost  entirely  composed  of  water,  and  the  good  prelate  discharges  his 
episcopal  duties  by  much  traversing  of  the  boisterous  Atlantic.  New- 
foundland and  the  "  vexed  Bermoothes,"  with  all  the  waters  wide  that  roll 
between,  are  comprehended  in  this  episcopate  of  numy  miles  and  few 
souls,  unless  we  include  soles  that  in  the  sea  do  dwell.  A  schooner-yacht 
is  owned  by  his  reverence,  who  in  the  summer  visits  and  confirms  his 
Northern  flocks,  a  third  of  the  coast  of  Newfoundland  being  thus  circum- 
navigated by  this  ghostly  yachtsman  ouoe  a  year.     The  fourth  smnmer 


NKWFOUNDLAND. 


150 


lie  rests  from  these  nitiritiiue  visitations,  und  the  winters  he  devotes  to 
the  spiritual  neeessities  of  the  lierniiulas,  who  evidently  receive  more  than 
their  share  of  spiritual  nourishment.  A  suffraij^an  bishop  resides  at  St. 
Johns,  and  missionaries,  as  thev  nuiv  well  he  called,  are  set  over  the  fishiii"' 
handets.  They  take  charge  of  several  each,  and  go  from  one  to  the  other 
in  lishing-hoats,  faithfully  and  patiently  doling  out  the  scant  store  of  re- 
ligion to  the  poor  islanders,  and,  as  one  of  their  number  observed  to  me, 
•'  endeavoring  to  make  good  Christians  of  them,  or  at  least  good  (church- 
men." 

It  is  supi>osed  by  many  in  the  United  States  that  Newfoundland  be- 
longs to  the  New  Dominion,  while  others,  better  informed  as  to  that,  but, 
as  would  seem,  against  the  best  interests  of  our  country,  which  already 
embraces  all  the  territory  we  can  take  care  of  for  the  present,  have  en- 
deavored to  create  a  movement  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  that  island 
to  the  "  States."  For  Newfoundland,  at  least,  it  would  doubtless  prove 
an  advance  on  her  condition  as  it  is  now,  split  by  rival  factions  and 
under  the  control  of  monopolists,  who  repress  the  energies  of  the  peoj)]e 
and  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  vast  mineral  resonrces  of  the  island. 
There  are  two  political  parties  there,  strongly  divided  on  the  rpiestion 
of  confederation  with  the  New  Domiidon,  a  measure  which  could  only 
i-esidt  to  the  ultimate  advantage  of  the  islaiulers.  So  it  is  properly  re- 
garded by  the  best  citizens,  but  they  are  unfortunately  still  in  the  minor- 
ity; and  such  is  the  ignorance  of  the  masses,  that  they  are,  of  course,  un- 
der the  guidance  of  pestilent  demagogues,  those  curses  inevitably  attend- 
ant on  democracy  in  all  ages,  who,  for  the  accomplishment  of  their  selfish 
ends,  give  currency  to  the  most  amazing  stories  against  Canada,  so  incred- 
ible that  I  refrain  from  repeating  them  here,  yet  not  too  incredible  for 
the  credulity  of  those  for  whose  benefit  they  are  manufactured.  The 
elections  are  attended  by  much  excitement  and  corruption,  and  the  intel- 
ligence and  integrity  of  the  Legislature  are  not  above  suspicion.  Lowell's 
"New  Priest  of  Conception  Bay"  gives  a  vivid  idea  of  certain  phases  of 
life  in  Newfoundland.  The  lower  classes  are  generally  a  very  rough  set, 
especially  on  the  southern  coast,  and,  if  we  may  trust  the  statements  of 
some  of  the  clergy,  an  infusion  of  practical  Christianity  into  the  morals  of 
the  people  is  one  of  the  demands  of  the  island. 

There  is  some  attempt  at  popular  education  on  the  part  of  the  Gov- 
ermnent,  but,  judging  from  the  intelligence  of  the  popular  mind,  wisdom 
will  not  die  with  the  Newfoundlanders.  There  is  a  i-eading-room  at  St. 
Johns,  for  the  free  use  of  which  I  here  tender  mv  arrateful  acknowleda;- 
ments;  but  communication  with  the  outside  world  is  at  best  but  scanty. 


T 


160 


TIIK   ATLANTIC    ISLANDS. 


A 


i4 


Tlic  United  States  press  is  represented  in  the  book-stores  l»v  the  most 
vulgar  of  the  New  York  weeklies,  which  may  aeeount  for  the  not  nni'ea- 
fionablo  b[)inion  expi'esscd  to  me  by  a  usually  well-informed  clergynian, 
that  he  supposed  "the  United  States  was  governed  entirely  by  nio))  law." 
The  papers  of  St.  .lohns  are  of  a  (;ontemptible  eharaeter;  the  tclegraphie 
news  they  contain  is  much  garbled,  and,  what  seems  extraordiiuiry.  con- 
sidering the  near  vicinity  of  Heart's  ('ontent — the  terminus  of  the  cable — 
is  obtained  by  way  of  I'oston  and  Halifax,  several  days  after  date!  jNIiiil 
comnmnication  is  maintained  with  Halifax,  and  the  I'est  of  the  world 
thereby,  once  or  twice  monthly  by  steam-packet.  (Considering  how  rarely 
the  mails  have  to  be  made  u})  and  distributed,  the  post-othce  might  almost 
seem  a  sinecure,  and  yet  it  will  excite  a  smile  to  leaiii  that  the  postal 
oflicials  have  been  known  to  complain  of  overwork  ! 

After  all,  1  found  it  pleasant  to  be  quiet  a  while!,  and  fi-ee  from  the 
turmoil  and  confusion,  the  cotistant  hurry  of  events,  the  swift-rccuriing 
rush  of  telegrams,  the  fever  of  life  in  the  luneteenth  century,  and  to  li\(' 
over  a  bit  of  "still  life,"  somewhat  as  it  was  in  sonuj  retired  English  sea- 
fariui;  town  seventy  vears  airo.  And  while  one  can  hardiv  consider  New- 
foundland,  with  its  pale  sutdight  and  sere  plains,  solitary  forests  and  in- 
fre(pient  mails,  altogether  the  place  to  live  in,  yet  it  is  \vell  worth  a  visit. 
Its  aborigimd  scenery,  unexplored  wastes,  (piaint  caj>ital,  curious  fishing- 
ports,  frowning  coast,  legendary  lore,  hospitable  folk,  and  blooming  lassies 
with  eyes  of  brimming  blue,  cheeks  mantling  with  the  roses  of  health, 
plumj),  trim  figures,  and  elastic  step,  and  its  imusual  fishing  and  hunting 
advantages  for  sportsmen,  present  a  variety  of  attractions  adapted  to  in- 
terest and  please  the  stranger,  and  store  his  memory  with  delightful  recob 
lections. 


'■•  H  I 


THE   IJEKMUDAS 


101 


CIIAriER  VIII. 


THE  JJKH.MUDAS. 


SEVEX  ImiKlivd  and  seventy  miles  south-east  fi'om  Xcw  York,  in  the 
latitude  of  Charleston,  and  the  other  side  i)t'  the  (irulf  Stream,  to 
which  we  are  indebted  for  a  variety  (»f  ill-natured  weather,  hes  the  cele- 
brated cluster  of  islets  called  the  J]eriuudas.  Having  been  loui;'  desirous 
of  seeing  them,  I  was  duly  exidtant  when  I  at  last  held  in  my  hand  the 
ticket  of  the  "Quebec  and  Gulf  Ports  Steamship  Company,"  entitling 
me  to  a  berth  in  the  steamship  Caniina.  We  left  the  wharf  on  a  Thurs- 
day, at  3  P.M.,  and  made  the  land  on  Monday  morning  at  3  a.m.  Steer- 
inir  around  the  southern  side  of  the  islands,  we  entered  the  narrow  chan- 
nel  north  of  St.  George's,  and,])assing  inside  of  the  reefs,  meandered  among 
islets  and  hidden  shelves  until  we 
came  to  Hamilton,  by  one  of  the 
most  tortuous  and  difficult  channels 
ever  attempted  by  a  vessel. 

Once   within    the    basin   forming 
the  port  of  Jlamilton,  we  found  our- 


Jrelaiiil  1,1. !> 


<7r((.ssy  Jjil'j 


yTreUlld  Pi. 
'ir.JI.DucUyard 


••,^l> 


piOtdfl 


A^ 


,rt 


cm" 


A0-' 


W- 


s 


C-THE  BERMUDAS 


St>""I 


■S^CCwM*^'/!  ■''•  'J'uillc S. 


Wcali: 


FISK  .1  f>USSt:i.L,  N.Y. 


11 


1.^ 


m 


?.  I'l- 


m 


1G2 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


selves  in  a  lovely,  lan(llo(;keJ  lake,  i:^ii-t  with  a  diadem  of  niiiiiaturc  isles, 
and  the  white-roofed  and  latticed  cottai^-cs  and  palms  of  the  little  (•a])ital 
^trairirliiis:  dreamily  to  the  waters  edii'o  at  the  bottom  of  a  faii'ydike  bay. 
I)r(»))pinj;'  an  anchor  and  mooring  to  it,  the  Caninia  was  gradually  warped 
to  some  forty  feet  from  the  quay,  which  she  could  not  reach  on  account 
of  a  shallow,  that  might  be  dredged  out  with  a  moderate  gum  and  a  tri- 
tling  amount  of  enterprise.  The  great  events  in  life  at  Hamilton,  aside 
from  the  yacht-races  and  paper-hunts,  are  the  arrivals  and  de])artures  of 

the  New  York  packet.  Accordingly, 
the  pier  was  thronged  with  peoi)le,  black 
and  white,  showing  on  the  glai-ing, 
calcareous  soil  like  pawns  huddled  in 
disorder  on  a  choss-l)oard.  There  they 
stood,  aristocrats  and  plebeians,  with  a 
sj^rinkling  of  redcoats  and  jolly  men- 
of-war's-mcn,  chattering  and  chaffing, 
while  we  on  board  also  leaned  expect- 
ant on  the  bulwarks,  wondering  how 
we  were  to  get  on  shore.  To  land  in 
boats  Avhen  we  were  but  a  dozen  }ards 
off  seemed  preposterous;  but  no  other 
visible  means  of  getting  to  land  with 
dry  feet  seemed  to  offer.  A  bustle  in  the  crowd  soon  indicated  a  solu- 
tion of  the  problem.  Hopes  flung  from  the  ship  were  caught  on  shore 
and  made  fast  to  the  outer  end  of  long  timbers,  which  were  now  j)ushed 
out  into  space  by  ebony  'longshoremen,  until  by  means  of  the  ropes  the 
oscillatinij  ends  were  drawn  on  board,  thus  causino;  the  timbers  to  rest 
one  end  on  shore,  the  other  on  board.  Immediately  a  swarm  of  shining 
blacks,  o-rimiin'i:  and  vellin<r.  bestrode  these  beams,  holdin<>-  crossbars,  whi(;h 
they  lashed  to  the  underside  of  the  tinil)ers.  It  was  a  novel  sight,  the 
double  row  of  lithe,  half-clad  darkies,  clinging  with  bare  feet  to  the  logs 
fifteen  feet  above  the  water.  When  the  fi'amc  had  been  properly  lashed 
together,  planks  were  laid  over  it,  and  thus  we  passed  from  deck  to  land. 
A  crane,  by  which  a  bridge  could  be  lowered,  or  such  a  bridge  on  wheels 
as  we  nse  in  New  York,  would  be  perfectly  feasible,  and  perhaps  less  cost- 
ly in  the  end;  but,  were  any  such  iiniovation  to  be  introduced,  a  riot 
might  result,  to  which  the  emeute  excited  by  Demetrius  the  coppersmith 
would  be  trifling,  the  negroes  who  put  up  and  take  down  this  rude  bridge 
bawling  with  "  damnable  iteration,"  "  This  our  craft  is  in  danger  to  be 
set  at  naught !'' 


I'V 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


ir,3 


I  never  -witnessed  a 
more  thorouglily  laughable 
and  ridiculous  incident  than 
a  palaver  between  a  lialf- 
bi-eed  and  a  full -blooded 
Congo  on  Hamilton  Quay, 
about  a  cur  which  the  lat- 
ter had  pushed  into  the  M"a- 
ter  on  a  certain  stoanier- 
day.  Such  grandiloquent 
langnage,  perpetually  mis- 
pronounced, such  mock 
dignity  and  high  sense  of 
personal  honor,  snch  ab- 
surd gestures  and  I'olling 
of  the  eyes,  such  barbaric 
eloquence  about  nothing, 
would  bring  tears  of  laugh- 
ter to  the  eyes  of  the  Car- 
diff Giant. 

The  Bermudas  received 
their  name  from  Juan  Ber- 
mudez,  who,  when  driving 
past  in  a  gale  of  wind,  first 
sighted  them  in  1503 ;  but 
no  attempt  to  profit  by  the 
discovery  seems  to  iiave 
been  made  until  1552,  when 
Philip  II.  concluded  to  as- 
sume formal  possession  of 
the  group,  and  Ferdinand 
Camelo  sailed  for  Bermu- 
da with  a  band  of  colo- 
nists. A  rock  bearing  the 
initials  of  Camelo,  the  date 
of  landing,  and  a  cross,  still 
stands  near  the  centre  of 
the  island.  No  other  i-elics 
of  this  Latin  colony  exist; 
but  Ilcnry  May,  an  English 


si 


,;ii 


M 


1  :    , 


164 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


i 


seair.jui,  M-reckcHl  there  in  150^},  relates  that  lie  found  an  abuiKlance  of 
wi  1(1-1  i(iii;s,  a  relic  of  this  colony,  which  have  lon^  since  been  extermi- 
nated. In  1(!(»9,  Sir  (ieorge  Seniors  Avas  on  the  voyage  to  Viri^inia,  and 
M'as  wrecked  on  the  I'ernnidas,  where  he  died  in  1011,  and  the  group  is 
sometimes  called  after  him.  At  some  earlier  period,  the  ubiquitous  Cap- 
tain ,Iohn  Smith,  who  turns  up  in  all  the  American  colonies  at  intervals, 
landed  at  the  Uei-niudas,  and  made  some  startling  statements  regarding 
the  aboriginal  spiders  he  found  there.  In  the  words  of  an  old  chronicler: 
"They  could  not  find  by  any  observations  that  they  [the  spiders]  were  at 
all  pernicious;  yet  they  are  of  a  very  large  size,  but  withal  beautifully 
colored,  and  look  as  if  they  were  adorned  with  pearl  and  gold.  Their 
webs  are  in  color  and  substance  a  jjcrfect  raw  silk,  and  so  strongly  woven 
that,  running  from  tree  to  tree,  like  so  many  snares,  small,  birds  are  some- 
times caught  in  them.  This  Captain  Smith  reports,  ni)on  whose  credit 
as  great  an  imi)robability  as  this  may  be  ventured  to  be  related."  No 
such  nuigniticent  spiders  now  inhabit  Bermuda,  and  we  must  say  Captain 
Smith's  testimony  on  the  subject  is  hardly  sutKcient  to  satisfy  the  scepti- 
cism of  this  faithless  and  unbelieving  generation.  Jhit  some  large-sized, 
although  harndess,  spiders  are  tliere  still,  which  have  an  uncivil  habit  of 
entei'iug  one's  bedroom  without  leave  and  dropping  down  on  the  pillow 
frt)m  the  ceiling  after  the  light  has  been  olown  out  for  the  night. 

Ivepresentative  government  was  organized  in  J)ermuda  in  1G20,  the 
year  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth.  As  the  Urst  permanent  settlers 
of  the  islands  were  Puritans,  impelled  thither  in  search  of  an  asylum  for 
religious  freedom,  the  coiiu;idencc  is  rather  remarkable,  and  woi'thy  of 
more  attention  than  it  has  received  from  the  historians.  These  settlers 
were  for  a  'M'hile  great  sufferers  from  a  memorable  plague  of  rats  as 
numerous  as  the  swarm  which  devoured  JJishop  llatto  on  the  llhino. 
They  Avere  everywhere,  aiul  destroyed  everything,  even  swimming  from 
one  island  to  another.  Cats  and  dogs  were  of  little  use  in  cond)ating  the 
vermin,  which  finally  disappeared  almost  as  mysteriously  as  they  had  come. 
The  cats  natuially  began  to  pine  after  that,  and  they  do  not  seem  to  have 
got  over  it  j'et,  for  a  more  woe-begone,  roughduiired,  angular,  ci'op-eared, 
and  bob-tailed  set  of  quadrupeds  than  these  felines  is  not  to  be  found  out 
of  Permuda. 

Ihit,  while  having  nominally  a  govermncnt  of  their  own,  with  a  minia- 
ture legislature  chosen  from  a  few  property-holders  out  of  a  total  popula- 
tion of  12,0()(',  the  Pernmdas  are  in  reality  a  naval  station  of  Great  Pritain, 
under  the  charge  of  a  military  governor  appointed  by  the  crown.  A  gar- 
rison of  two  regiments  is  permanently  settled  there,  and  the  most  advau- 


J    Ml 


THE   BERMUDAS. 


105 


tafi;cou3  points  bristle  with  fortifications.  On  Ireland  Island  an  artificial 
port  has  been  created  by  a  breakwater,  and  an  extensive  arsenal  exists  for 
repairing  ships-of-war.  There  is  to  be  seen  the  famous  floating-dock, 
towed  from  England  in  1809.     It  is  3S1  feet  in  length  over  all. 

The  reputation  of  JJerniuda  is  owing  largely  to  the  circumstance  that 
no  similar  group  of  islands  has  l)een  visited  and  sung  by  so  many  writers 
of  note.  Influenced,  perhaps,  by  the  narratives  of  Captain  Smith  and 
Henry  May,  Shakspeare  laid  the  scene  of  ''The  Tempest"  on  a  desert 
island,  and  gave  a  birthplace  to  Ariel  in  the  "still  vexed  Bermoothes." 


I  -. 


rLOATlN(!-U0CK. 


Later,  Edmund  Waller  came  to  liermuda  with  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  in 
order  to  get  over  his  disappointment  regarding  the  Lady  Dorothy  Sidney, 
lie  wrote  a  spirited  poem,  entitled  "The  Battle  of  the  Sunnner  Islands," 
describiuix  a  combat  between  the  Bermudians  and  certain  whales.    Amidst 


II: 


mr 


!F 


IGG 


THE  ATLANliC   ISLANDS. 


in 


.1 


mi 


r. ,  t 


■!  ;( 


IS 


Ml 


i^ 


TKl.MTV     CIllUCll,   HAMILTON. 


considerable  bom- 
bast there  are  a 
few  good  lines  in 
the  poem  ;  but 
the  poet  gave  rein 
to  his  imai'ina- 
tion,  and  pictured 
i  scenes  whose  like 
can  only  be  found 
'-  amidst  the  rank 
growth  of  tro])- 
ical  vegetation. 
Andrew  Marvcll,  the  well  -  known 
secretary  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  has 
also  done  his  share  to  brinaj  Ber- 
muda  into  prominence  by  his  ex- 
quisite lines,  "  The  Emigrants  in 
Bernuidas,"  which  show  that  tlie 
Puritans  were  able  to  compose  ad- 
mirable poetry  as  well  as  give  "apostolic  blows  and  knocks."  In  this 
century,  Tom  Moore,  the  jolly  bard  who  translated  Anacreon,  drifted 
over  to  these  isles  with  a  commission  to  the  Vice-admiralty  Court  in  his 
pocket.  There  was  nothing  Puritanic  about  Moore.  As  soon  as  he 
landed,  he  went  to  making  lovo  and  weaving  amatory  couplets,  which 
were  ])robably  no  more  sincere  dian  most  of  his  verses;  for,  his  poetry 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  he  records  in  his  prose  that  he  found 
the  ladies  more  susceptible  than  beautiful,  while  the  husbands  also  came 
in  for  a  share  of  unfavorable  criticism.  lie  adds, "  The  })hiloso])her  who 
held  that  in  the  next  life  men  are  transformed  into  nmles  and  women 
i'ito  turtles  nn'ght  see  this  very  nearly  accomplished  at  Bermuda."  Tlie 
house  where  Moore  lived,  the  drii)ping  cavern  ho  frequented,  and  the 
ragged  calabash-tree  under  which  he  composed  his  verses,  continue  to  be 
objects  of  rational  curiosity. 

Without  making  comparisons,  which  are  said  on  good  authority  to  be 
odious,  it  may  be  truthfuUv  ailirmed  that  the  scenerv  of  Bermuda,  althouiih 
never  overcoming  one  with  enthusiasm,  is,  however,  always  pleasing,  and, 
like  a  choice  work  of  art  or  a  quiet  but  thoughtful  jjiecc  of  nuisic,  has 
the  inestimable  quality  of  improving  on  acquaintance.  Its  cliariiis  are  so 
subtile  that,  before  one  is  aware,  it  has  stolen  an  enduring  place  in  one's 
affections.     1  have  seen  islands  far  more  striking  and  magnilicent,  which 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


167 


liavc  gained  scarcely  so  strong  a  hold  npon  my  mcmo"y,  or  seemed  to 
invite  the  stranger  to  retnrn  with  such  singular  magnetism.  The  pome- 
granate grows  abundantly,  and  its  brilliant  green  foliage,  starred  with 
the  flame-like  splendijr  of  scarlet  blossoms,  forms  one  of  the  most  char- 
acteristic features  in  a  JJermuda  landscf  pe.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  tiddle-trec  and  the  geranium;  while  the  oleander,  growing  in  lofty 
groves,  and  festooned  with  wonderful  masses  of  crimson-and-white  flcw- 
ers,  often  imparts  regal  beauty  to  the  rural  roadside.  Variety  is  also 
given  to  the  flora  by  the  interweaving  of  the  tamarind,  the  red  cedar,  the 
century-plant,  the  Surinam  cherry,  the  grape-fruit,  the  banana,  and,  wav- 
ing majestically  over  all,  the  queenly  palm,  a  bronze  like  shaft  lithely 
swaying  in  the  se.a-wind  and  crowned  by  an  undulating  crest  of  emerald 
plumes.     The  numgrove  is  abundant  in  the   coral  coves,  its  snake-like 


r^ 


4 


',.  •^i'i' 


?vf!!^fi^^2^^^  ^'^ 


MUOUb  S     CAl,AllA(>ll-ri  I.K. 


branches  twisted  together  most  inextricably  over  the  M'ator.  and  forming 
green  coves,  where  the  dreamer  may  suppose  sea-fairies  dwell,  if  he  be  so 
minded. 

The  scientist  would  probably  tell  us  that  there  are  no  such  things  as 
fairies,  that  this  scenery  and  these  trees  have  higher  uses  than  to  please, 


;*!il 


H 


llf;iii 


■ 

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IGS 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


niul  would  direct  ns  rather  to  turn  to  a  porions  consideration  of  the  inter- 
esting geological  phenomena  of  the  islands;  and,  as  he  has  got  us  by  the 


VIKW     KIKI.M     I.II.llT-llll(Mi. 


button-hole,  and,  like  the  Ancient  Ma.'iner,  is  bound  to  rejieat  his  story,  we 
must  listen  a  few  minutes  while  he  tells  us  that  the  soil  is  verj'  thin,  and 
of  a  red  color ;  that  it  is  already  overworked,  and  constantly  demands  er- 
tilizers;  and  that  it  is  but  a  sparse  stratum,  deposited  in  the  course  of  long 
ages  on  a  limestone  basis.  The  most  noteworthy  characteristic  of  the  Vivv- 
mndas,  in  the  opinion  of  the  afoi'csaid  scientist,  is  their  formation.  Orig- 
inally they  were  nothing  but  reefs  of  coral.  Gi'adually  the  centi-al  portions 
arose  above  the  sea,  and  then  the  surf,  beating  on  the  outer  coral  ledges, 
wore  them  into  sand,  which  was  washed  up  on  the  higher  ])arts.  Exposuio 
to  the  weather  of  an  ocean  celebrated  for  the  inhospitable  treatment  it 
extends  to  those  who  court  its  accpiaintance  had  a  hardening  tendency, 
such  as  the  human  character  undergoes  when  lashed  by  oft-repeated,  long- 
continued  adversity ;  and  these  heaps  of  loose  sand  became  indurated  into 
limestone.  Nor  is  the  process  yet  complete;  it  is  still  going  on  along  the 
southern  coast,  where  limestone  in  the  various  stages  of  formation  may 
be  seen,  from  hard  rock  to  softer  masses  like  cheese,  and  mere  shifting 
hills  cotnposed  of  the  disintegrated  coral  washed  up  by  the  latest  storm. 


THE   HKHMUDxVS. 


100 


These  islets  iininbcr  one  linndred,  Avitli  a  lai'ge  flock  of  nameless  rocks. 
Tlio  main  group  forms  a  chain  sliajH'd  like  a  fish-hook,  from  St.  George's 
Island  to  Ireland  Isbind,  and  connected  by  causeways.  On  the  northern 
side  they  are  Iiedged  in  by  a  remarkable  coralline  reef  extending  in  a 
semicircle  completely  across,  subtending  the  arc  of  the  bay  lying  between 
these  two  islands,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  the  nernnidas  are  in  the  highest  latitude  in  which  coral  insects  build 
in  tlie  form  of  rocks.  In  heavy  weather  this  immense  barrier  is  cruelly 
terrible,  beaten  bv  an  unbroken  mass  of  rau'ing  breakers.  As  there  is  but 
one  passage  by  which  it  can  be  entered,  it  serves  as  an  impenetrable  che- 


COTTAiiE    AND    GAIIDEN     IN     HAMILTON. 


ral-de-frise  against  all  ships  of  the  enemy.  There  is  a  fine  light-house  on 
(iibbs  Hill,  3G2  feet  above  the  sea,  and  visible  twenty-five  miles.  They 
need  another  one,  and  came  to  that  conclusion  a  long  time  ago.     But  as 


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170 


TIIK  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


time  is  the  cheapest  thing  going  in  a  phice  liice  Ijcrniuda,  it  is  well  to  en:- 
ploy  u  good  supply  of  it  in  everything  that  is  undertaken  there.     It  costs 


A    STIiEET    SCENE    IN     HAMILTON — THE    WHAHF. 


nothing,  while  Inirry,  money,  labor — these  things  cost;  and  tliereforc  this 
additional  light-house  will  not  be  erected,  probably,  before  the  year  1900. 

The  islands,  in  a  direct  line,  are  but  fifteen  miles  in  length,  and  never 
over  two  miles  broad,  and  generally  very  much  narrower,  and  excessively 
cut  up  M'ith  creeks  and  bays;  and  yet  they  give  an  impression  of  a  much 
larger  area — to  such  a  degree  as  almost  to  come  within  the  definition  of 
an  illusion.  The  surface,  nowhere  over  250  feet  high,  is  always  undulat- 
ing ;  and  thus  one  Avill  often  lind  himself  in  a  little  sylvan  hollow  sur- 
rounded by  hills  so  steep  as  to  give  the  impression  of  considerable  eleva- 
tion :  they  are  clothed  with  cedar  groves.  On  the  intervening  meadow- 
lands  lies  perchance  a  little  pool  surrounded  by  attractive  farm-houses  and 
gardens,  and  a  church-spire.  One  could  easily  imagine  himself  in  some 
New  England  vale  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  sea,  M'hen  a  turn  in  the 
road  reveals  the  ocean  only  a  few  score  yards  away ;  and  the  ilhision  is 
heightened  by  the  numerous  admirable  roads  rumiing  in  every  direction. 
A  penal  settlement  existed  until  recently  in  Bermuda,  and  the  convicts 
were  employed  to  hew  out  of  the  rock  120  miles  of  carriage-roads.     The 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


171 


question  is,  "  If  these  men  had  not  sinned,  wonld  those  roads  have  been 
constructed;  and  wliat  would  the  i.shmds  be  without  these  roads?"  "What- 
ever is,  is  right,"  says  Pope.  Not  a  bit  of  it !  I>ut  in  Bennnda  let  ns 
throw  casnistry  and  physic  alike  to  the  dogs. 

Hamilton  is  a  charming  little  town,  doing  its  best  to  cmnlatc  other 
English  colonies  by  maintaining  an  insular  aristocracy,  and  feels  as  im- 
portant as  if  it  had  twelve  hundred  thousand  instead  of  tw'elve  hundred 
souls.  Better  than  all,  there  is  a  poetic  element,  a  narcotic  property,  in 
the  air  which  invests  it,  that  makes  one  forget  that  New  York  is  so  near 
at  liand,  struggling  nnder  the  burdens  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The 
pretty  cottages  in  the  neighborhood,  embowered  in  Howers,  are  very  invit- 
ing, and  seem  to  offer  a  nearly  perfect  combination  of  rural  and  domestic 
attractions. 

Of  St.  George's  I  cAimot  speak  so  favorably.  It  seems  to  present 
the  decay  without  the  picturesqueness,  the  decrepitude  without  the  re- 
spectability of  old  age,  and  the  neighboring  shores  are  less  inviting.  On 
St.  David's  Island,  in  the  port,  people  are  still  found  who  have  never  been 


A    STllEET    SCENE    IN    ST.   GEOUUG  S. 


off  that  little  islet,  and  have  never  seen  a  horse  except  in  a  picture  !    Don- 
keys they  have  seen,  for  the  good  reason  that  dwarf  donkeys  are  found 


172 


TlIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


cvcrywlicrc  in  l^crninda,  trottiiii;  in  front  of  iiiiiiiuturo  carts.  St,  George's 
was  a  noted  rendezvous  for  hlockade-nmners  duiing  our  civil  war,  and 
the  dei)re6:5ioii  into  ■which  it  has  fallen  is  proportioned  to  the  feverish  ])ros- 


THE    UtVILK    IIULE. 


pcrity  of  that  period.  It  may  ho  added  hci'c  that  the  oft-repeated  story 
of  the  enterprising  hero  who  made  several  trii)s  from  Charleston  to  Ber- 
muda, carrying  a  ton  of  cotton  across  each  v(.»yage  in  an  open  boat,  has 
no  foundation  in  fact. 

The  two  pleasantest  spots  in  Bermuda  are  Harrington  Sound  and 
Fairy-land.  The  former  is  a  salt-water  lake,  or  estuary,  surrounded  hy 
cavernous  shores,  and  over  its  delicate  green  water  hovers  the  poetic  ])in- 
tail,  reflecting  on  its  downy  white  breast  the  emerald  tint  of  the  sea.  The 
Walsiugham  and  Joyce  caves  in  the  vicinity  are  well  Avorth  visiting,  al- 
though the  beautiful  pendant  stalactites  hanging  from  the  Gothic  vaults 
are  gradually  falling  before  the  blows  of  visitors,  and  blackened  by  the 
smoke  of  the  buslies  burned  to  light  up  the  gloom  of  the  interior.  The 
Devil's  Hole  is  also  a  spot  where,  for  an  extravagant  fee,  one  may  have 
his  curiosity  relieved  by  looking  into  a  pit  filled  with  sea-water  through 
a  subterranean  channel.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall,  carefully 
protected  by  a  vast  quantity  of  broken  glass,  although  it  is  difficult  to 


I 


THE  BERMUDAS. 


173 


iina<^inc  any  one  so  infatiuitcil  by  curiosity  as  to  try  to  scale  a  high  wall 
in  order  to  look  into  a  jKud.  Diit  tlicro  is  no  glass  wasted  in  l»erinnda. 
The  walls  arc  everywhoro  so  plentifully  guarded  hy  a  frightlidly  jagged 
edge  of  broken  bottles  as  to  lead  the  stranger  to  thiidv  it  must  be  a  very 
insecure  place  to  live  in.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the  color  of  the  water 
at  the  Devil's  Hole  is  of  the  most  exquisite  cobalt  hue,  shading  off  into 
emerald  and  brown  in  the  shadows,  and  the  azure  aiigcl-lish  it  contains 
are  erpially  beautifid. 

Fairy-land  is  topographically  the  most  attractive  s])ot  in  Bermuda,  and 
should  therefore  be  visited  last.  Art  has  done  little  for  it,  and  Nature  a 
great  deal.  The  main  island  is  here  cut  up  most  marvellously  into  cove 
and  bay,  isthmus  ami  peninsula,  like  the  bits  of  a  puzzle-map,  and  the 
coves  are  in  turn  studded  with  green  islets,  reposing  in  magical  beauty  on 
a  summer  sea.  I  know  of  no  country  villa  more  admirably  situated  than 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Stowe,  who  courteously  allows  visitors  to  walk  over 
her  grounds.  Near  Fairy-land  is  Spanish  Point,  a  pictures(pie  rock,  with 
a  very  fine  bit  of  marine  foreground,  com[)lete  and  lovely  of  its  kind ;  and 
beyond  this  point  is  a  sea-cave  reserved  as  a  bathing-house  for  the  ladies 
of  the  governor's  family.  It  seems  hollowed  out  on  purpose  for  Amphi- 
trite  and  her  Nereids. 


CAVES    ON    THE    COAST. 


The  admirable  facilities  for  boating  at  Bcrnnida  naturally  cause  m-eat 
interest  in  yachting.     There  is  a  yacht-club,  and  the  Cerniuda  yachts  have 


gj    r 


174 


TIIH   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


more  tliiin  a  local  ivi)ntati()ii.  The  boats  arc,  howovcr,  built  on  principles 
that  have  been  exploded  by  the  latest  ])nictice.  Tiioy  are  a  curious  com- 
bination of  some  of  the  opposite  qualities  of  En<;li^h  and  American  yachts 


IIAVINK    UN    SUUTU    ttUUBt:,   UbIIMlUA. 


at  the  time  of  the  famous  international  race  in  1851.  Tlioy  have  great 
beam,  but  it  is  forward  of  the  centre ;  and  great  draught,  but  it  is  aft ; 
and  the  keel  runs  up  toward  the  stem.  At  the  same  time  they  depend 
altogether  upon  ballast  for  stability,  and  are  so  heavily  sparred  that  they 
have  to  be  loaded  down  with  a  £2;reat  wcii^-ht.  The  mast  is  also  set  so  far 
in  the  eyes,  and  has  such  a  nike,  that  it  buries  the  bow  in  running,  and 
even  when  close-hauled,  thus  checking  the  speed.  The  only  (piality  in 
which  they  seem  to  me  to  excel  is  in  going  to  windward.  It  is  affirmed 
that  some  of  them  can  ^ook  up  within  three  points  and  a  half  of  the  wind ; 
but  our  best  sloop-yacHits  can  do  the  same  thing.  They  are  built  entirely 
of  red  cedar,  scraped  and  varnished,  and  certainly  look  very  coquettish 
and  saucy  when  under  press  of  canvas.  The  main-sail  is  triangular,  and 
boats  in  racing-trim  set  masts  twice  the  length  of  the  deck,  and  carry  bow- 
sprits little  short  of  the  length  of  the  keek  They  have  an  absurd  rule  in 
racing  that  the  main-sail  shall  be  laced  to  the  mast,  and,  blow  high  or 
blow  low,  that  sail  shall  not  be  reduced.  As  many  craft  actually  go  bet- 
ter sometimes  in  a  sea  by  a  judicious  reef  or  two,  even  if  they  can  bear 
more  canvas,  this  system  makes  racing  in  Bermuda  chiefly  a  question  of 


TIIK   RKTMIIDAS. 


175 


foolliardiucsf?,  vatlior  than  of  judi^mont  founded  on  a  knowledge  of  what 
each  yacht  can  do  under  given  cinMunstanccrf. 

I  saw  a  race  in  the  Great  Sound.  It  had  been  announced  for  a  lotig 
time.  The  two  semiannual  yacht-races  are  great  events,  and  my  expecta- 
tions were  proportionately  elevated,  especially  as  the  Uorimida  Yacht  Cluh 
is  under  the  distinguished  patronage  of  his  Iloyal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Edinhurgh,  and  the  vice  i)atroiuigc  of  the  governor,  four  major-generals, 
two  admirals,  and  a  vice-admiral.  It  seemed,  therefore,  rather  a  coming 
down  to  find  that,  although  every  (fraft  that  coidd  float  was  on  hand,  ami 
almost  every  one  in  the  town  turned  out  to  see  the  sport  and  picnic  on  the 
islands,  there  was  to  bo  nothing  in  the  race  measuring  over  ten  tons,  and 
only  seven  entries  for  the  first  atid  second  races,  while  oidy  five  yachts 
actually  competed,  and  two  of  these  were  but  si.\teen-feet  length  of  keel. 
As  usual,  also,  in  Bermuda,  there  was  so  little  punctuality  shown  in  getting 
on  the  ground,  or  rather  on  the  water,  selected  for  the  race,  although  there 
was  a  fresh  and  favorable  breeze,  that  the  second  race  had  to  be  postponed. 


]■'  '' 


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pins  iiAv. 


The  quay  of  Hamilton  looked  very  lively  as  party  after  party  came 
down  to  the  water,  followed  by  negro  attendants  bearing  baskets  of  pro- 
visions and  suspicious-looking  bottles,  to  .embark  in  the  jaunty  boats  wait- 


176 


THE   ATLAiNTIO  ISLANDS. 


iii<>;  impatiently,  M'itli  ptrcaincrs  flying  and  main-sails  set,  cliatlnsj  like  spir- 
ited steeds.  One  by  one  the  boats  received  their  live  freii^lit,  the  jibs  were 
hoisted,  and  lieelin<2;  over  to  a  spankini>;  breeze  ont  of  the  west,  they  shut 
down  the  bay,  their  swelli'ii^  sails  «fleaming  snow-like  on  the  purple  sea  as 
they  threaded  the  tortuous  channels  among  the  islands,  like  a  long  proces- 
sion of  swans.  The  racing  yachts  really  looked  like  things  of  life,  newly 
scraped  and  varnished,  spreading  a  cloud  of  new  canvas,  and  burying  their 
lee-rails  as  they  started  off  with  a  bone  in  the  mouth.  They  were,  howev- 
er, not  sailed  by  the  owners,  but  by  negro  skii)pers  and  crews,  the  owners 
looking  on  from  other  boats,  which  seemed  to  me  very  much  like  dancing 
in  the  Orient,  the  dancers  being  professionals  hired  for  the  occasion,  while 
the  host  and  his  guests  look  on,  instead  of  dancing  themselves.  After  the 
racers  had  started,  all  the  other  boats  landed  their  parties  on  the  neighbor- 
ing islands  to  dine.  A  more  lovely  day  or  a  more  charming  scene  could 
hardly  be  imagined.  The  sea-wind  .nspirited  one  like  an  elixir,  and,  as 
we  sat  under  the  trees  taking  our  luncheon,  listening  to  the  musical  play 
ot  the  surf  on  the  beach,  and  the  breeze  in  the  leaves  overhead,  and  gaz- 
ing on  the  reach  of  lovely  azure  sea  beyond,  and  the  sails  dotting  the  dis- 
tance, we  did  not  in  the  least  envy  the  lotos-eaters.  When  the  racers  were 
on  the  home-stretch  to  the  stake-boat,  every  one  turned  out  again  to  see 
them  come  in.  The  scene,  as  they  gibed  and  rounded  tlii  goal,  was  very 
excitiiig;  for  there  was  a  stiff  breeze,  the  shifting  ballast  had  to  be  carried 
over  very  rapidly,  and  the  danger  of  capsizing  with  such  a  press  of  canvas 
was  very  considerable.  The  third  yacht  yielded  to  the  sudden  ])ressure, 
as  she  took  the  wind  on  the  starboard  quarter,  and  gracefully  but  rapidly 
lurching,  fllled  and  ^ 'cnt  down  like  lead,  with  six  men  on  board.  Jhit  f>ne 
by  one  they  bobbed  up  again  like  burnt  corks,  and,  grapi)ling  with  other 
boats,  were  soon  out  of  danger  of  waves  and  sharks. 

Many  varieties  of  birds  frequent  the  Ijci'mudas,  generally  such  as  are 
found  in  our  woods — the  cat-bird,  the  robin,  the  bluebird,  the  scarlet  tana- 
ger,  and  the  brown  thrush.  The  beautiful  Vii'ginia  cardinal-bird  is  also 
very  common.  The  variety  and  number  of  singing-birds  is  indeed  one  of 
the  most  pleasing  characteristics  of  the  island.  Ihit  game-birds,  or  game 
of  any  sort,  are  too  scarce  for  .nention.  The  sport-loving  Englishman 
flnds  this  a  liardship  which  he  overcomes  by  artificial  means.  The  reader 
may  remember  Hughes's  description  of  the  game  of  hare-and-hounds  In 
his  "  School-days  at  Rugby."  Something  of  this  sort  is  the  fashion  in  Ber- 
muda, and  is  called  a  ''paper-hunt."  Hurdles,  intended  to  be  very  form! 
dable,  are  laid  hero  and  there  in  the  otherwise  smooth  fields  and  slopes,  and 
men  are  sent  in  advanc        scatter  a  trail  of  bits  of  paper.     The  ladies  and 


THE    BERMUDAS. 


177 


gentlemen  privileged  to  belong  to  what  may  be  called  the  Ijermudr'.  Tluiit 
assemble  at  a  concerted  rendezvous,  mounted  on  steeds  which  are  certainly 
not  excelling  in  the  points  of  a  thorough-bred,  and  then,  hwrry-skiirry  over 
hurdles  and  hedges,  dash  the  hunters,  following  tlie  pa))er  trail,  until  they 
all  finally  meet  at  a  selected  spot,  where  a  grand  ban(piet  is  served  to  fin- 
ish up  the  bloodless  sport.  Miss  Lefroy,  the  daughter  of  the  gove-Mor,  is 
the  Di  Vernon  of  l^>ermu(la. 

The  question  of  meat  and  drink  is  one  which  absorl)s  even  more  at- 
tention at  the  islands  than  it  does  elsewhere.     l*eoi)le  must  have  liquids; 


INUIA-ltL'BBEH-TUEG. 


but,  as  there  are  neither  streams,  wells,  nor  sjjrings  there,  fresh  water  must 
be  caught  from  the  skies  ;  and  every  roof  in  15ermuda  is,  therefore,  en- 
listed into  the  service  by  being  tiled  with  limestone  and  whitewashed,  and 
the  rain-water  rui.o  from  them  into  ample  cisterns,  The  houses  are  con- 
structed of  the  soft  limestone  of  the  islamls,  which  can  be  readily  cut  into 
blocks  with  a  handsaw  when  first  (piarried,  but  hardens  aftev  a  few  M'eeks 
of  e"  posure  to  the  air.  l^eer  is  larijely  imi)orted  from  Kngland,  and  once 
a  serious  calamity  seemed  to  ovevhang  the  devoted  islands,  when  long 
head-winds  kept  back  a  caigo  of  malt  licpioi-s.     Daily,  wl'ili  long  faces,  the 

12 


17« 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


i.    I. 


i  , 


care-worn  Berimidiaiis  came  down  to  the  qnay  to  in(;[uire  anxiously  if  the 
Sarah  Jane  had  arrived  jet.  A  while  since,  a  univertJal  remedy  at  the 
islands  for  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to  was  brandy  and  salt;  but  it  is 
more  than  suspected  that  the  salt  too  often  came  out  of  the  sug-ar-bowl. 

I^ernnida  potatoes  have  a  wide  reputation  with  us  ;  but  if  the  visitor 
to  Bermuda  wishes  to  eat  them  there,  he  must  carry  a  barrel  of  them  with 
him  from  Xew  York,  for  they  are  all  exported  to  that  city  and  riiila- 
delphia,  and  sold  at  high  prices  as  early  potatoes,  wiiile  others  are  im- 
poi'ted  from  New  York  at  a  lower  price.  Meat  is  also  imported  from  our 
continent,  and  when  the  ti'ansport  loaded  with  beeves  arrives  it  is  a  novel 
sight  to  see  her  land  tliem.  Mooring  opposite  the  cattle-yards  some  lit- 
tle distance  from  the  shore,  an  inclined  plank-way  is  placed  on  the  deck 
reaching  to  the  bulwarks.  One  by  one  the  oxen  arc  let  out  from  tlic  stalls 
on  deck,  or  hoisted  from  the  hold,  and  permitted  to  walk  \\\)  this  inclined 
plaidc.  With  immense  satisfaction  that  gives  almost  a  hunjan  expression  to 
the  bovine  eye,  the  poor  animal  looks  out  once  more  on  green  fields,  with 
(ruriosity  toned  by  placid  content,  when  suddenly  a  rope  is  tightened  l)e- 
hind  him  so  violently  that,  nolens  volcns,  aiul  without  the  slightest  chance 
of  resistance,  he  is  hurled  into  the  sea.  AVhen  lie  comes  up  at  last,  almost 
suffocated  with  the  salt-water  he  has  swallowed,  lie  is  towed  on  shore  by 
two  men  in  a  skiff.  Some  would  call  it  an  entertaining  spectacle  to  see 
a  couple  of  hundred  oxen  treated  in  this  way.  It  Moidd  be  ^ery  amusing 
if  we  could  onlv  be  sure  that  they  do  not  suffer,  or  that  thev  are  destined 
to  some  compensation  for  the  torture  which  they  endure  in  this  world, 
under  the  oj)ei'ation  of  the  inscrutable  laws  of  the  infinite  wisdom. 

I  returned  to  New  York  in  the  Bermuda  steamer.  We  encountcr'.d 
very  heavy  weather,  and  one  morning  four  men  were  washed  off  the  nuiin- 
boom  when  reeling  the  main-sail.  Almost  bv  a  miracle  thev  all  contrived 
to  grasp  hold  of  some  rope  or  sj)ar,  and  were  saved.  The  steamer  was 
loaded  with  tonuitoes  and  onions;  aiul  as  the  skylights  and  ('ompanion- 
way  iuid  to  be  tightly  closed,  the  smell  of  the  onions  became  almost  over- 
powering, and  it  was  therefore  with  unwonted  relief  that  I  hailed  the  sight 
of  land. 


I.'. 


BELLEISLE-EN-MER 


179 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BELLEISLE-EN-MEIi. 


1 


BELLEISLE-EX-MEII  is  so  called,  probably,  in  order  to  distinc^nisli 
it  from  a  villafjje  in  the  interior  of  lirittany,  which,  for  sonic  strange 
reason,  is  called  Belleisle-en-Terre.  Very  few  besides  Fi-enchnien  have 
heard  of  this  little  island,  and  fewer  still  know  ninch  abont  it,  which  is 
sufKcient  canso  for  iriviiig  a  chapter  to  it  here.  Tt  is  an  islet  al)ont  ten 
miles  long,  off  the  coast  of  Brittany, 

and  my  attention   was  drawn  to   it  '  ' 

when  I  was  at  Anray.  Every  one 
said  to  me  that  I  ought  by  all  means 
to  visit  Belleisle,  and  as  this  advice 
tallied  exactly  with  niy  passion  for 
islands,  it  reqnircd  only  abont  five 
minntes'  deliberation  to  decide  to  jj^o 
there. 

A  miniatnre  steatner  of  fortv  tons 
plies  daily  between  Anray  and  Belle- 
isle,  winds  and  weather  pci'mitting, 
which  is  a  very  important  proviso 
on  that  bleak,  rock-bound,  fog-hid- 
den, and  tempestuous  coast,  and,  con- 
sidering the  extreme  violence  of  the 
sea  sometimes,  especially  in  the  Avin- 
ter  season,  which  was  exactly  the 
time  when  I  took  my  trip.  It  was 
a  gray,  sad  morning  as  the  boat  left 
the  pier  at  Anray,  which  is  surrounded  by  groups  of  exceedingly  pictu- 
resque old  buildings.  We  glided  down  the  Auray  Kivj-  into  the  Sea  of 
Morbihan,  a  large  landlocked  bay,  which  receives  the  broad  estuaries  o\" 
Auray  and  Vannes,  and  is  studded  with  barren,  but  picturesque  and  leg*- 
endary  isles.     The  scenery  on  the  river-banks  pleased  me  more  than  smy 


HSH-WOMtN    OF     TIIK    MolilllllAN. 


180 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


n 


I  [ 


If 


landscape  I  saw  in  Brittany.  Oak  woods,  mossy  and  venerable,  and  un- 
touched by  the  axe,  gave  a  bit  of  anti(|ue  forest-land  quite  unusual  in 
Northern  France.  It  was  entertaining  to  sec  the  tishing  and  market  boats 
rowed  and  sailed  by  women,  rough,  stout,  and  rosy,  sometimes  a  little 
touched  with  liquor,  and  proportionately  jolly,  and  with  only  one  man  at 
most  on  board. 

I  may  mention  here  that  throughout  Brittany,  owing  to  the  conscrip- 
tion, the  exodus  of  young  men  to  Paris,  or  other  causes,  the  women 
may  be  seen  in  the  majority  everywhere,  and  in  almost  all  departments 
of  trade.  AVhat  wo  call  women's  rights  have  been  practically  adopted 
in  France  for  centuries,  the  constant  wars  having  di'ained  the  supjily  of 
men.     The  result  has  been  not  so  nnich  what  it  is  claimed  it  would  be 


'I 


h    i  ! 


|l 


»?!*ffi:»isL 


■  ^  i  '■''■   r.^^V  I, 


»ji; 


CA:»AU'S    table,   OU    table    ok    tub    MEUCHANTS,    LOCMAIIIAQIER. 

if  women  should  obtain  what  some  are  '  ^":lsed  to  call  their  rights — that 
is,  the  general  refinement  and  improvement  of  society — but  I'ather  the  re- 
verse. I  do  not  blame  women  for  having  to  labor  in  the  iields,  or  fishing 
and  digging  for  oystere,  or  pursuing  any  honest  means  for  gaining  a  live- 
lihood ;  but  I  always  feel  sorry  for  them  when  they  are  forced  to  adopt 
vocations  purely  masculine,  which  destroy  the  natural  relinement  and 
beauty  that  are  the  peculiar  traits  of  womanhood. 

We  passed  by  Locmariacpier,  where  some  of  the  most  stupendous 
remains  of  the  Druids  still  exist,  remarkable  even  in  a  country  M'hich 
abounds  with  them  like  Brittany.  One  of  the  largest  of  these  is  a  dt>l- 
uicn  called  Caesar's  Table,  or  Dol-ar-Marc'hadourien,  which  means  the 
Tabic  of  the  Merchants  in  Celtic.  After  passing  out  of  the  Sea  of  Moi-- 
bilian,  we  encoantercd  a  stiff  sou'-west  wind,  but  for  sc  '  distance  were 
jjrotected  by  the  long,  narrow  peninsular  spit  culled  Qu.oeron,  and  the 


t 


BE  LLEISLE-EN-M  ER. 


ISl 


adjoining  islets  of  Ilourit  and  Iledic.  Quibcron  extends  into  the  Atlantic 
like  a  breakwater,  and  is  exposed  to  the  full  brunt  of  ail  the  gales  wliieh 
bcs<^t  that  melancholy  coast.  It  has  acquired  a  terrible  celebrity  for  the 
events  of  which  it  was  the  scene  during  the  French  Kevolution.  There, 
June  27tli,  1795,  an  English  fleet  landed  a  corps  of  c'mvjt'es  composed  of 
the  best  blood  of  France,  spared  thus  far  by  tlie  guillotine.  They  were 
commanded  by  JJ'JIervilly,  and  latterly  by  Sombreuil,  who  was  the  brother 
of  her  who  quaffed  a  goblet  of  human  blood  during  the  massacre  of  the 
2d  of  September  in  order  to  save  her  father's  life.  Sombreuil  arrived 
M'ith  re-enforcements  toward  the  close  of  the  ill-fated  ex[)e(lition,in  season 
to  take  command,  and  sacrifice  his  life  for  a  cause  and  an  armv  alreadv 
doomed.  The  chouans,  or  peasantry,  flocked  to  the  royal  standard,  and  a 
force  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand  men  was  soon  collected,  which  would  have 
swelled  to  a  large  army  but  for  the  incompetency  of  D'llervilly.  Miu;h 
precious  time  was  wasted,  and  when  the  royalists  were  at  last  ready  to 
move,  llocho,  tlie  ablest  general  of  the  Revolution,  appeared,  and,  by  a 
series  of  nuisterly  movements,  hemmed  in  the  invading  army,  and  forced 
tliem  back  on  Quiberon,  where  they  were  canght  as  in  a  trap.  The  fail- 
ure of  concerted  movements,  caused  partially  by  lack  of  conrtdence  in  the 
royalist  general,  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  emigres  near  Fort  Penthicvre, 
after  heroic  efforts.  Treachery  did  the  rest.  Fort  Penthicvre,  the  key 
to  Quiberon,  was  given  up  by  traitors.  A  heavy  gale  was  blowing  wiien 
Iloche  made  the  final  attack,  which  drove  the  ill-fated  rovalists  to  the 
extremity  of  the  peninsula,  a)id  while  some  were  able  to  escape  to  the 
English  fleet,  many  perished,  dashed  against  the  rocks,  in  that  fearful 
night  when  luiture  seemed  to  combine  with  man  to  increase  the  horrors 
of  fratricidal  war.  Nothinc:  was  left  but  to  surrender  or  fl<jht  to  the 
last  man.  Sombreuil,  who  was  in  connnand  after  the  fall  of  D'llervilly 
and  the  dastardly  flight  of  Puieave,  the  next  in  command,  advanced  be- 
yond  the  lines  and  held  a  parley  with  Iloche.  A  surrender  was  agreed 
upon. 

Tallien,  the  member  of  the  Assembly  who  had  been  detailed  by  the 
Government  to  be  present  to  give  his  sanction  to  the  proceedings  at  the 
expected  surrender,  then  returned  to  Paris  with  (Jeneral  Iloche,  after 
having  given  his  acquiescence  to  c(»unsels  of  mercy.  But  there  the  cour- 
age of  both  these  men  gav(>  wav  in  face  of  rumors  concerning  their  luke- 
warmness  or  ii'fidelity  to  the  cause.  With  a  perfldy  which  is  but  partially 
palliated  by  the  state  of  affairs,  when  to  be  suspected  was  to  be  condemned, 
they  both  abandoned  the  prisoners  of  Quiberon  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  JacobI;i3,  Tallien  even   descending  so  low  as  to  suppress  an  appeal 


182 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


he  had  made  in  favor  of  mercy,  and  to  urijo  the  execution  of  the  whole 
nuiiiber.  The  Assembly  sent  orders  that  all  over  sixteen  years  of  age 
should  he  shot.  The  executions  were  su})erintended  by  a  tiger  named 
Ivamoine,  and  took  place  simultaneously  at  Vannes,  Auray,  and  (^iuiberon. 
Every  day  at  noon,  for  thirty  days,  the  unfortu.natc  captives  were  taken  out 
by  thirties  and  by  forties,  ranged  facing  a  deep  trench,  and  shot,  and  as 
they  fell  in  the  ti'cneh  they  were  left,  whether  alive  or  dead,  and  th.e  dogs 
were  allowed  to  pick  their  bones.  Many  atrocities  accompanied  these 
wholesale  executions.  The  number  nmrdered  is  not  certainly  known,  but 
it  was  not  less  than  three  thousand,  and  by  some  it  has  been  placed  much 
higher. 

On  getting  abreast  of  the  Teignouse  Light,  in  the  channel  between  the 
rocks  on  which  it  is  perched,  and  the  reefs  which  skirt  the  little  islands 


LK     I'Ar.AlS,    I1KLLK1SI.[;. 


of  Ilouat  and  TTcdic,  we  enctountered  a  most  tremendous  and  irregular 
sea,  for  which  this  spot  is  noted  when  the  tide,  undertow,  and  sea-waves 
<;onliict  with  each  other.  A  very  stiff  breeze  was  blowing,  and  the  little 
steamer,  although  buoyant,  buried  herself  in  a  way  astonishing  to  behold. 
They  made  sail  on  her  as  soon  as  possible  to  keep  her  steady,  and  stood 
away  to  the  eastward,  taking  the  sea  tnore  abeam,  until  wo  got  under  the 
lee  of  Tjclleisle,  when  we  came  to  on  our  course,  and  arrived  at  Le  Pa- 
lais, the  chief  place,  toward  night.  I  stepped  ashore  with  the  proud  con- 
sciousness of  being,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  the  first  American  traveller 
who  ever  landed  on  the  island. 

When  I  reached  the  Hotel  de  France,  I  was  charmed  to  find  a  neat, 
cheerful  hostel,  and  that  an  excellent  dinner  was  on  the  point  of  being 


ra 


BELLEISLE-EN-MEU. 


is;i 


ti 


served.  The  landlord,  ii  man  of  fiiir  avcrn-i^c  intcUijijeiioe,  but  ignorant, 
like  luoist  FrcTichnien,  of  uny  other  country  besides  liis  own,  gave  me  a 
cordial  recci)tion,  and  said  to  me, 

"Are  you  an  Englishman 'f 

"No,"  1  replied,  "  I  am  an  American." 

"  Ah,  indeed !  And  how  did  you  conic  from  Amoricta?  Did  you 
come  bv  rail  V 

"  No,  the  railroad  is  not  yet  built,"  I  answered ;  ''  so  1  had  to  come  by 
steamer." 

lie  did  not  seem  at  all  abashed  by  my  reply,  feeling  probably,  like 
many  of  his  countrymen,  that  what  he  did  not  know  was  not  worth  know- 
insr ;  in  fact,  he  did  not  seem  at  all  awai'c  what  an  absurd  cpiestion  he  had 
asked.  Nor  was  I  surprised  that  he  should  ask  it,  as  it  is  the  most  com- 
mon thing  in  the  M'orld  to  find  astonishing  ignorance  among  Europeans 
regarding  America,  even  on  the  part  of  educated  ])Co))le. 

Le  Palais  is  situated  on  a  long,  luirrow  port,  protected  by  a  mole,  and 
inaccessible  at  half  tide;  but  the  inner  port  is  always  })rovide(l  by  tlood- 
gates  Avith  water  for  vessels  of  modei-ate  size.  The  entrance  and  the 
wdiole  land  side  of  the  town  are  admirably  fortified  by  massive  walls  and 
bastions,  designed  by  Vauban.  Shi[)S  of  any  size  can  ride  in  the  roads 
in  the  heaviest  weather.  Lc  Palais  is  entirely  a  modern  town,  iiaving 
been  built  chiefly  during  or  since  tlje  time  of  Louis  XIII.  Put  the  island 
has  a  history  dating  ])ack  to  the  earliest  periods.  It  was  originally  cov- 
ei'cd  with  forests,  and  governed  by  the  Druids,  who  left  important  monu- 
ments, most  of  whi(!h  have  l)een  destroyed.  At  one  time  Pelleislc  was 
an  appanage  of  FoU(piet,  the  famous  prime  minister  of  Louis  XIV. 

The  (;hief  business  of  the  island  has  always  been  tlie  fishery  of  sar- 
dines. During  the  season,  which  is  in  sununer,  many  iishermen  from  the 
main-land  fiock  to  the  island,  and  near  a  thousand  boats,  large  and  small, 
are  engaged  in  laying  the  nets.  The  iish  are,  for  the  most  jiart,  cured 
at  Le  Palais.  Besides  these  boats,  a  numl)er  of  extremely  picturescpie 
chasses-inarc'cs,  or  two-masted  luggers,  admirably  effective,  whether  on  the 
gray-green  sea  of  the  Pay  of  Piscay  or  in  a  marine  painting,  are  owiumI 
at  Pelleisle,  and  arc  engaged  all  the  year  round  in  dragging  for  turbot 
and  lobsters.  The  ship-yard  at  the  head  of  the  port,  wlicre  these  luggers 
are  built,  is  attractively  [)icturesque,  under  a  liill,  and  shaded  by  a  grove 
of  lindens,  leading  to  a  public  promenade. 

Everything  here  is  in  miniature,  aiul  there  is  little  of  the  very  strik- 
ing or  impressive  character  belonging  to  nuiny  of  the  Atlantic  isles.  In 
a  week  one  can  see  it  all,  and  vet  there  is  a  certain  luuneless  charm  about 


r 


'!^ 


184 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


'    I 


, '  \ 


it  wliicli  is  botli  novel  aiul  ])i([Uimt,  while  the  cliffs  on  the  sontiiorn  coast 
are  often  very  wild  and  grand.  The  climate  in  winter  and  spring  is 
milder  even  than  that  of  the  main-land  of  Brittany,  besides  being  more 
free  from  fogs,  more  snnny,  more  bhmd.  For  an  iTivalid  nothing  can 
be  imagined  more  agreeable  or  soothing  than  some  of  the  cheerful  sunny 
days  of  charming  little  IJelleisle  during  two  or  three  seasons  of  the  year. 
The  prevalence  of  easterly  or  land  winds  and  absence  of  shade  in  sununcr 
make  it  rather  warmer  than  is  generally  the  case  on  islands,  although 
quite  bearable  in  that  latitude,  wliile  the  line  beaches  on  the  north-eastern 
coast  afford  excellent  bathing -places,  much  resorted  to  by  those  from 
France  whose  means  or  tastes  lead  them  to  avoid  Ijoulogne  or  Biarritz. 

The  island  is  divided  into  four  parisiies:  Le  Palais,  Port  Philippe, 
Bangor,  and  Locmaria.  Each  of  the  three  country  parishes  has  a  jmcleus 
where  the  parish  church  stands,  and  collects  around  it  the  peasantry  on 
fete-days  and  Sundays.  Besides  this  nucleus,  the  houses  of  each  parish 
are  scattered  in  little  knots,  or  haiidets,  of  live  to  ten  houses,  a  quarter  to 
half  a  mile  apart;  1  counted  at  one  time  fourteen  within  a  radius  of  a 
mile  and  a  half.  Port  Philipi)e  alone  numbers  thirty-live  of  these  minia- 
ture villages.  At  this  ])lace  is  a  harbor  with  a  mole  and  light-house.  A 
beautiful  valley  continues  across  the  island  from  this  little  port  to  Point 
Stervroso,  a  small  peninsula,  with  a  narrow  bay  on  one  side,  called  the  Port 
Vieux  Chateau,  where  the  largest  ships  can  ride  at  any  tide,  but  evidently 
more  impracticable  in  our  day  than  in  the  time  of  the  Roman  conquest, 
owing,  possibly,  to  a  change  in  the  prevailing  winds.  The  plateau  of  this 
peninsula  has  from  very  early  times  been  called  the  "Camp  of  the  llo- 
mans."  Before  the  invention  of  cannon  it  could  afford  an  impregnable 
position  for  5000  or  0000  men  —say,  a  legion.  On  the  sea  side  the  cliffs 
fall  vertically  over  100  feet  everywhere,  while  the  land  side  is  protected 
by  a  ranqiart  and  trench  extending  entirely  across,  pei-liaps  200  yards;  it 
is  excellently  preserved,  and  there  is  little  question  of  its  Roman  origin. 
The  coast-line  from  Point  des  PauHns  westward  to  Locmaria  on  the  east  is 
very  impressive,  generally  perpendicular,  presenting  some  very  remarkable 
rocks  and  cliffs,  and  a  notable  sou0euse  near  Vieux  Chateau.  The  isl- 
anders graphically  call  the  south-western  shore,  where  the  surf  breaks  all 
the  year  round  on  the  cliffs,  "  La  Mer  Sauvage."  Mr.  Ruskin  has  some- 
where inveighed  very  severely  against  such  artists  as  have  dared  to  present 
a  precipice  as  actually  vertical,  or  sometimes  overhanging,  asserting,  in 
his  usual  dogmatical  and  vehement  manner,  that  such  cliff's  never  occur, 
and  are  impossible  in  nature.  Tiiose  who  know  his  style  can  easily  im- 
agine to  what  depths  of  infamy  he  consigns  the  artist  who  has  been  thus 


*( 


HELLKISLEKN-MKR. 


185 


<;uilty  of  what  tliis  critic;  considers  fjilsohood.  Often  have  I  thought  of 
this  passage  in  my  wumlcrings,  wlicn  I  have  seen  instances  which  prove 
that  in  this  case,  as  sometimes  in  others,  Mr.  liiiskin's  statement  must  he 
taken  as  having  more  rhetoric  than  truth  in  it.  With  a  })erpendicuhir 
Hne  for  comparison,  I  have  repeatedly  proved  that  it  is  possihle  for  cHffs 
to  he  hoth  vertical  and  ovcrlianging.  At  Belleisle  I  saw  the  head  of  a 
sea  precipice  overhanging  its  hase  in  several  ]>laces,  notahly  at  the  Port 
Vieux  C'hiitean. 

In  IjaJigor,  near  the  edge  of  the  chffs,  stands  a  liglit-houso,  soaring  105 
feet  from  the  iiround  and  302  feet  ahove  the  sea,  constructed  in  the  most 
massive  and  careful  manner,  and  lighted  hy  a  Fresnel- light  of  the  first 
chiss.  The  lantern  is  tinislied  on  the  interior  with  polished  slahs  of  varie- 
gated marhle.  It  is  worth  a  visit  to  Jjelleisle  to  see  this  light-house, 
which  is  prol)al)ly  the  finest  in  existence,  unless  we  except,  perhaps,  the 
one  at  Cordouan,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gironde,  huilt  by  Henry  IV.,  if  I 
remember  rightly.     Tiie  French  coast  is  everywhere  very  finely  lighted. 

The  larii'cst  and  most  eleijant  homestead  on  the  island  is  owned  by  M. 
Trochu,  brother  of  (Jeneral  Trochu,  whom  he  strongly  reseml)les.  They 
are  both  natives  of  Belleisle.  The  house  stands  a  little  out  of  the  town, 
surrounded  by  a  picturesque  wood  of  evergreens.  The  courteous  and 
hospitable  proprietor  is  interested  in  agricultural  progress,  and  devotes 
his  energies  to  raising  early  market  crops. 

My  rambles  about  this  choice  little  isle  were  chiefly  in  a  rather  primi- 
tive two-wl  eeled  carriage,  accompanied  by  a  chatty,  good-natured  driver, 
who  seemed  to  know  every  one  we  met,  and  was  able  to  call  them  by 
name.  The  peddler,  with  his  leather  leggings  and  pack  of  cloths  and 
trinkets  suited  to  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  country  women,  seemed 
to  be  ubiquitous.  I  met  him  on  the  highway,  or  by  the  shore,  or  in  the 
cabaret,  and  found  him,  like  peddlers  generally,  garrulous,  long-winded, 
and  not  likely  to  die  for  hick  of  cheek.  When  unfolding  his  goods  to 
a  bevy  of  rosy,  black-eyed  girls,  his  uidiinited  flow  of  words  was  often 
seasoned  with  flattering  remarks  and  jokes  just  broad  enough  to  make 
them  blush  and  ijifjijle  in  the  most  entertainiui;  manner.  I  met  him  once 
when  I  stepped  into  an  auherge  in  Bangor  to  snatch  a  bit  of  lunch.  The 
landlady,  a  buxom  widow,  had  two  daughters,  whose  intense  black  eyes, 
raven  tresses,  and  M-arm  brunette  complexions,  tinged  with  red,  would  set 
an  artist  raving.  They  were  all  having  a  very  merry  time  of  it,  bantering 
over  the  goods  contained  in  the  peddler's  pack.  He  was  rolling  out  his 
grandiloquent  periods  and  f ueut  falsehoods  w'ith  extraordinary  volubility; 
but  when  I  (jailed  for  a  bottle  of  wine  and  the  necessary  adjuncts  of  a 


it 


180 


rilK   ATLANTIC;    ISLANDS. 


"  peiiiiywortli  of  brciul "  uik)  meat,  ho  ilcvclopod  a  sndileii  and  reiuark- 
al)lc  intorest  in  mo.     AVliilo  the  widow  was  spicadinij;-  tlio  tahio,  he  loft 
his  <i;oods  and  camo  and  sat  himself  down  opposite  me  at  the  table. 
"  Mi>nsieiir,  if  I  mistake  not,  is  a  traveller  in  oiu'  fair  little  island?" 
"So  it  seems,"  I  replied,  distantly. 

"An    Englishman,  perhaps,  wlio,  having;  the    leisure   and   the    moans 
denied  to  so  many,  wisolv  devotes  his  intelliijont  observation  to  travel!!" 

I  shrii<^'j;ed  my  shoul- 
S^&^MlSj  •^^*'"-''  'i^  "ii'^li  s^s  to  say, 
"r%Wp     '•  Have  it  so  if  you  like." 

"  Now,  if  Y<»u  are 
looking  about  Jjolleisle, 
monsieur,  allow  me  to 
assure  yon  that  I  am 
your  num  if  you  wish 
a  eompetent  guide,  who 
knows  every  legend,  and 
every  nook  and  eranny 
from  one  end  to  the 
other  of  the  island." 

"  I  am  already  pro- 
vided with  a  guide, 
-lean,  the  dri\or,  knows 
all  I  want  to  know  about 
I'elleisle,  and  ho  does 
not  talk  too  much  ;  he 
is  un  brave  gareon." 

Xot  abashed  bv  this 
rebuff,  ho  fetched  a  glass 
unasked,  and  tasted  of 
mv  M-ino.  "  That  is  vei'v 
fair  for  a  vin  ordinaire," 
he  said.  ''  I  was  afraid  madame  might  not  have  given  you  her  best  wine." 
Finding  I  could  not  very  well  got  rid  of  a  varlet  who  had  made  np 
his  mind  to  lunch  at  my  expense,  without  causing  "a  coldness  in  the 
meeting,"  and  rather  enjoying  his  impudence,  and  willing  to  please  the 
hostess,  who  seemed  to  be  kindly  and  polite,  I  called  for  aiu)ther  bottle 
of  wine  and  a  plate  for  the  peddler,  and  soon  the  conversation  became 
general  and  very  entertaining,  the  widow  and  her  daughters  and  my 
driver  joining  in  the  gossip,  and  a  peasant  or  two  who  were  going  by,  sit- 


■KASAM-OIHL,    lltLLEISLK. 


HKLLEISLE-KN-MER. 


18^ 


tiii^  on  the  doorstep  or  lookiniz;  in  at  the  window,  and  (;ontri!)ntini^  their 
share  to  the  puhiver.  I  noticed  in  them  all,  as  in  the  peasantry  of  Europe 
jjenerally,  simplicity  and  cniniini;,  j^ross  iiiiiorance,  and  a  (juaint,  crafty 
shrewdness  (;lashin<,',  and  cnrionsly  contrasted.  One  thinjiij  I  feel  (juite 
certain  of,  and  that  is,  tliat  country  folk  are  not  as  such  more  honest  than 
other  people,  although  honesty  and  rusticity  are  often  thon<^-ht  to  be  in- 
terchanwahle  terms. 

l)Ut  tlie  day  came  which  I  had  set  to  leave  ]jelleisle-en-nier.  T  was 
called  ])efore  dawn.  It  cost  me  a  strugi:;le  to  keep  to  my  resolution,  for 
it  was  stormiiii^  furiously  out  of  the  south-west.  The  wind  was  howling 
over  the  roofs  of  the  little  town,  and  the  rain  was  pelting  the  window- 
panes;  nor  did  the  prospect  seem  more  cheerful  as  I  went  down  to  the 
quay  in  the  dripping  dinmess  of  the  early  morning.  Two  steamers  and 
several  ships  were  lying  in  the  roads,  having  rim  in  there  to  ride  out  the 
storm  under  the  lee  of  the  island.  Our  little  steamer  was  at  the  mouth 
of  the  port.  It  was  not  for  her  to  consult  winds  and  weather,  when  the 
wind  at  least  was  fair,  for  she  carried  the  mails.  We  rowed  out  to  her 
in  a  small  boat,  and  were  soon  under  wav,  and  the  little  island  was 
rapidly  hidden  from  us  in  a  dense  curtain  of  gray  mist.  And  now  we  had 
a  i-ace  with  the  tide.  Tlie  sea  was  running  from  the  south-west,  and,  so 
lung  as  the  tide  went  with  it,  was  comparatively  regular,  although  high; 
but  just  so  soon  as  the  tide  should  turn,  the  sea  would  become  tumultuous 
and  dangerous,  especially  in  the  narrow  passage  by  the  Teignonse  Light, 
where  numerous  reefs  and  islets  tend  to  make  the  waves  more  broken. 
We  crowded  on  all  sail  and  steam,  and  passed  the  Teignonse  a  few 
minutes  before  the  tide  turned.  The  tremendous  breakers,  rolling  just 
under  our  lee  on  the  savage,  bristling  reefs,  or  dashing,  high  and  ghostly, 
up  the  sides  of  the  light-house,  were  terrible  and  sublime ;  but  once  in- 
side of  the  rocky  barrier,  we  found  the  water  compaiatively  smooth,  and 
glided  rapidly  toward  Aui-ay. 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER.  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


6^     MP. 


Q- 


1  i. 


188 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER   X. 


rUINCE  EDWARD   ISLAND. 


i     f 


''f^IIE  Caroll  packet  steamed  away  from  Tea  Wharf,  Tloston  Harbor, 
-L  one  glorious  noon -time  in  August,  bound  to  Charlottetown,  Prince 
Edward  Island.  Having  paid  ten  dollars  in  gold  to  the  International 
Steamship  Company,  the  writer  was  graciously  permitted  to  occui)y  a 
state-room  in  the  after-cabin.  IJoard,  which  was  "  fair  to  middling,"  was 
extra  —  a  wise  provision  In  favor  of  sea-sick  passengers,  but  a  doubtful 
economv  in  mv  case,  as  I  never  yet  lost  a  meal  at  sea.  Earlv  on  the  sec- 
ond  day  we  sighted  and  passed  near  to  Sambro'  Head,  a  cruel,  iron-gray 
mass  of  granite  off  the  entrance  to  Halifax,  crowned  bv  a  liijht- house 
which  is  celebrated  in  naval  annals.  The  port  of  Halifax  is  very  spacious, 
being  reallv  the  widening  of  an  estuary,  which,  after  winding  some  twenty 
miles,  loses  itself  in  X\w  woods  of  Nova  Scotia.  This  is  a  noble  sheet  of 
water,  admirably  situated  for  yachting,  to  which  some  attention  is  given 
by  local  yachtsmen.  The  view  of  the  harbor  from  the  fort  behind  the 
city  is  both  extensive  and  beautiful ;  and  from  the  opposite  village  of 


--^E^r=tK 


8AMBIU)     Lir.llT.— ENTHANCE    TO    HALIFAX    IIAHBOR. 


Dartmouth,  Halifax  presents  an  eflfectlve  and  j)leasiug  picture,  as  seen 
in  ])rofile  on  a  hillside  sloping  to  the  water.  But  a  close  inspection  of  the 
city  does  not  add  to  the  visitor's  interest  in  Halifax.  It  is  one  of  those 
places  which  residents  assure  us  improve  on  acquaintance;  but  it  certain- 


rUINCE  ILDWAliD   ISLAND. 


ISO 


ly  docs  not  leave  a  very  favorable  impression  on  the  stranger.     Judging 
from  my  own  experience,  lie  who  has  seen  it  once  never  wants  to  see  it 


KNTUANCE    TO    STUAIT    OF    CANSO. 


aijain;  and  ho  whom  a  mvsterions  Providence  has  dii'octed  hither  a  second 
time,  wonders  what  sin  may  have  caused  him  twice  to  reali/.e  the  meaning 
of  the  amiable  exclamation,  "  Cio  to  Halifax  !" 

In  the  afternoon  wo  steamed  out  again,  and  headed  eastward  for  Can- 
so.  Down  the  savage,  reefy  coast  of  Xova  Scotia  we  sciulded  before  a 
sou'- westerly  gale,  accompanied  with  lightning,  and  ])assed  through  tiie 
river-like  strait  of  ('anso  on  a  tine  breezy  morning,  that  enabled  us  to  see 
to  best  advantage  a  really  beautiful  sheet  of  water.  We  touched  at  Port 
Ilawkcsbury  a  few  moments — a  village  of  small  houses,  generally  devoid 
of  paint  and  destitute  of  verdure,  and  scattered  about  the  naked  hill-sides 
without  order.  Cape  Porcupine,  on  the  left,  is  a  bold  headland  of  con- 
siderable height.  After  passing  this,  we  came  out  on  the  broad  blue  wa- 
ters of  the  St.  Lawrence,  arriving  at  Pictou  at  noon-time  of  the  third  day 
out.  A  lovely  bay  is  the  bay  of  Pictou.  As  one  enters.  Prince  Edward 
Island  skirts  the  northern  horizon,  u  low,  pale  line;  nearer  rises  Pictou 
Isle,  red-cliffed  and  wood-tufted.  On  the  left  is  the  spit  lying  in  front 
of  the  port,  sustaining  a  striped  light -house.  In  the  distance,  gray  and 
dreamy,  a  mile  or  two  down  the  bay,  are  the  spires  of  Picton  topping  the 
slope  of  a  range  of  hills.  From  the  snnnnit  of  these  hills  the  traveller 
who  clind)s  them  is  rewarded  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  extensive 
water  views  on  the  continent:  the  broad  bav  of  Picton,  invadini;  the  lai  J 
with  many  steel-hued  winding  arms  and  creeks,  and  studded,  in  turn,  with 
islets;  the  flashing  surf  on  the  bar;  the  green  rolling  land  fading  in  a 
golden  haze  inimitably  toward  the  setting  sun;  the  dark-pur[>le  (rulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  s})reiuling  as  inimitably  toward  tiie  e.ist,  with  roseate  cliffs 
skirting  the  ofling  like  phantom  islands  —  all  contribute  to  compose  a 


!lll[ 


\\ 


f^ 


1      ■' 


I'JO 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


l>ictiire  inexhaustible  in  its  variety  and  the  satisfying  ciiaracter  of  its  at- 
tractions. 

Pictuu  is  the  seat  of  coal-mines,  and  large  quantities  of  the  mineral 
are  exported,     llei'e  our  steamer  coaled  for  the  tri[).     A  tunnel  of  iron 


HALIFAX,    FKOM    THE    CITADEL. 


plates  was  fitted  to  the  forward  hatchway,  and  a  platform  was  lowered 
over  the  hold.  The  cars  were  run  out  on  this,  and  through  a  trap-door 
ill  the  bottom  of  the  car  the  coal  was  dropped  into  the  vessel.  In  a  few 
hours  we  had  taken  a  hundred  tons  of  coal  on  board,  and  about  three  in 
the  morning  left  Pictou  for  Charlottetown.  At  sunrise  we  lav  in  Hills- 
borough  Bay  in  a  dead  calm.  A  light,  low  fog  hovered  on  the  water  di- 
rectly across  the  entrance  to  the  port,  and  we  were  forced  to  wait  for  the 
sun  to  dispel  it.  We  were  surrounded  by  the  red  cliffs  of  (iuvernor's,  St. 
Peter's,  and  Prince  Edward  islands,  mirrored  on  the  glassy  surface  of  the 
bay  with  absolute  fidelity,  or  half  lifted  in  the  air  by  a  partial  mirage. 
Here  and  there  a  schooner  lay  idly  over  the  quivering  reflection  of  its  own 
8i)ars  and  sails.  Overhead,  the  sky  was  cloudless  azure,  specked  only  by 
flocks  of  wild-fowl,  and  no  sound  disturbed  the  magical  stillness  of  this 
peaceful  scene  but  the  far-reaching,  quavering  cry  of  the  loon  throbbing 
over  the  water. 

On  the  clearing  away  of  the  fog  we  glided  by  the  light -house  on 
Kocky  Point  and  the  wreck  which  lies  close  thereby,  and  Charlottetown, 
with  the  broad  estuaries  that  branch  away  from  it  for  many  miles  in  three 


I'lllNCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


191 


directions,  under  tlic  names  of  North,  East,  and  West  rivers,  was  revealed 
to  us  in  tlie  slieen  of  the  morning  sun.  Charlottetown,  in  Queens  Coun- 
ty, the  capital  of  the  island,  is  a  city  of  9000  inhabitants,  on  a  tongue  of 
land  between  North  and  Iilast  rivers.  The  city  was  founded  about  1705, 
on  a  regidar  plan.  The  sti-eets  are  of  great  width,  and  are  laid  out  at 
right  angles  to  each  otlier  on  parallel  lines.  The  houses  are  generally 
small  and  unpretentious  in  their  appearance,  but  neat;  while  in  some  parts 
of  the  city,  along  the  esplaIU^de  and  inland,  past  the  Government  buildings, 
dwellings  of  considerable  taste  and  elegance,  and  embowered  in  shrubbery, 
are  ijrowini;  more  numerous  every  vear.  The  residence  of  the  governor 
is  a  neat  building,  admirably  situated  at  the  head  of  a  close-shav(Mi  lawn, 
which  slopes  down  to  the  water,  and  tlaid<ed  by  the  sighing  pines  of  the 
primeval  forest.  The  present  occupant,  Sir  William  llodgsoti,  is  the  first 
native  governor  placed  over  the  island,  lie  is  a  hale  old  gentleman  of 
eighty-six — genial,  courteous,  and  capable.  The  other  Government  othces 
are  situated  on  Queen's  S(puire,  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  surprise  the 
visitor  by  the  completeness  and  elegance  of  their  construction  and  arrange- 
ment. Tiiey  consist  of  a  state-house,  in  which  are  included  the  halls  for 
the  Upper  and  Lower  Houses  of  the  Legislature,  and  other  ot^ces ;  of  a 
court-house, just  completed;  and  of  a  post-office  which  will  compare  favor- 
ably with  many  of  the  post-offices  in  our  larger  cities.  Of  the  manage- 
ment of  the  ])ostal  department,  I  cannot  speak  in  the  same  terms.  1 
found  the  clerks  at  all  the  island  offices  unnecessarily  inquisitive,  and  ca- 
pable of  incredible  blunders.  There  is  also  inexcusable  laxness  in  the  for- 
warding and  care  of  letters  and  mail-bags,  insomuch  that  I  never  felt  sure 
of  receiving  letters  addressed  to  me,  at  least  not  for  long  after  they  were 
due,  or  that  mine  would  reach  their  destination  after  I  had  posted  them. 


LIUUT-auUSb. — ENTKANUE    TO    PICTUU    PORT. 


That  this  was  not  my  own  experience  alone  was  evidenced  by  the  fre- 
quent complaints  .against  the  department  constajitly  appearing  in  the  local 
papers.     This  defect  in  the  adm»  "stration  of  the  Government  supervision 


I 


i 


i 


>\i 


r — r 


1 

i    ' 

192 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


is  one  of  serious  and  increasiiisj  importance,  and  demands  immediate  re- 
form. It  is  said  that,  until  within  a  very  few  years,  such  was  the  hi<,di- 
handed  autliority  assumed  by  the  self-styled  upper  classes  of  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island  that  it  was  hv  !i<>  means  uncommon  for  letters  to  he  seized 


-**er 


OOVERNMENT    IIUUSE,   CIIAKLOTTETOWN. 


and  examined  by  them  with  no  other  rijjht  than  that  of  the  stroui^est. 
Under  the  niodifyiuii;  influences  of  the  Dominion  and  increasing  inter- 
course with  the  United  States,  many  customs  suiji>'ested  by  a  colonial  state 
of  things  are  gradually  passing  away  as  obsolete ;  but  the  divisions  of 
caste,  so  strong  in  England,  and  presei'ved  with  so  nnich  more  intensity  in 
all  her  colonies,  are  still  maintained  in  Charlottetown  with  a  rigor  that, 
if  it  were  not  pernicious  and  preju(li(rial  to  true  social  progress,  would  be 
ridiculous;  for  whatever  palliation  there  nuiy  be  for  it  elsewhere,  there  is 
none  in  a  place  where  the  richest  are  but  moderately  well  off,  where  in- 
tellectual culture  is  at  a  low  ebb,  where  no  men  of  such  superior  ability 
have  yet  arisen  as  to  found  even  the  only  aristocracy  for  which  there  is 
any  plansil)le  excuse,  the  nobility  of  moral  and  mental  supremacy. 

The  market,  in  Queen's  Scpiare,  is  a  noteworthy  building.  On  market- 
days — Wednesdays  and  Fridays — the  farmers  come  in  from  the  country 
with  provisions  of  every  sort :  })rovender  for  cattle,  fish  from  the  rivers 
and  the  sea,  homespun  goods,  game,  confectionery,  and  the  like.  These 
are  arranged  in  stalls  in  the  interior,  and  the  towns-peo})le  assemble  to 
purchase  a  stock  of  food  to  keep  them  alive  until  the  next  market-day. 
Around  the  building  wagons  and  carts  are  collected,  loaded  with  hay  or 
lobsters.  It  is  quite  a  li\  ly  and  interesting  scene,  deriving  pietni'esque- 
iiess  from  the  ruddy  complexions  and  flaxen  or  coal-black  tresses  of  the 
buxom  Scotch  and  French  country  lassies,  and  the  tawny,  unkempt  Indian 
squaws  from  Rocky  Point. 

The  churches  of  Charlottetown  have  little  to  boast  of.  The  ritualists 
have  begun  a  chapel  with  a  slant  to  the  roof  so  excessively  steep  as  to 


1^ 


rUINCE   KDWAHI)   ISLAND. 


193 


conic  within  tlic  term  "  loiul.''  The  zeal  of  tlie  congrop;ation  is  in  excess 
of  their  funds,  and  the  biiikliiiij^  is  at  ])resent  like  a  chapter  to  a  serial 
story  whose  author  is  at  a  loss  to  furnish  nuiterial  for  the  next  chapter. 
The  Kirk  .are  erecting  a  neat,  comniodious  edifice  to  replace  the  jiresent 
sanctuary,  which,  it  is  pleasant  to  report,  is  too  small  for  their  enlarged 
congregation.  The  Methodists  have  the  haiulsomest  church  in  the  city, 
and  are  in  a  tiourishing  condition.  The  Koman  Catlutlics  worshij)  in  a 
large,  barn-like  structure  of  wood.  They  arc  active,  and  are  spurred  on 
to  increased  architectural  efforts  by  the  l)isliop,  who,  ciuisidering  that  ap- 
pearances have  great  weight  with  a  large  portion  of  unreflecting  mortals, 
has  devoted  his  episcopal  labors  to  the  increase  of  the  brick  and  mortar 
owned  by  the  Church.  A  costly  residence  for  the  bishop  of  that  com- 
munion and  extensive  buildings  for  convents  and  schools  have  also  been 
erected  recently  at  Tigm'sh  and  Charlottetown,  and  one  is  to  be  reared 
soon  at  Souris.  The  population  of  the  island  is  9rt,021,  of  whom  about 
42,000  are  in  Queens  County.  The  number  of  Koman  Oatholics  is  40,765. 
The  averaijfe  increase  in  Protestants  durini'  the  last  seven  years  has  been 
IS. 8  per  cent.;  the  increase  in  Itoman  (Catholics  has  been  13.7  per  cent. 
The  present  free-education  act  was  passed  in  1S52;  a  Jjoard  of  Education 
exists,  and  the  entire  cost  of  public  instruction  is  defrayed  out  of  the  gen- 
eral revenue. 


METHODIST    CUI'HCII    AND    PART    Of    CHABLOTTETOWN — EAST    BIVEH    IN    THE    DISTANCE. 

A  subject  which  has  seriously  agitated  the  island  for  nearly  a  cen- 
tury is  the  land  question.  The  island,  which  is  140  miles  in  length  and 
34  miles  wide,  was  discovered  by  Cabot,  who  called  it  St.  John ;  and 
it  still  retains  that  name  among  the  French  to  this  day.  As  the  Eng- 
lish failed  to  take  possession  of  it  at  the  time  of  discovery,  Verazain 

IS 


. 


IH 

1  ! 

w 

1  : 

P'l 

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■i 

1 

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1 


Ij  h 


I 


194 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


cliiimed  both  the  discovery  jukI  possession  of  it  for  the  French  in  1523, 
and  it  was  granted  by  thoni  to  the  Sieur  Daiihet,  who,  witli  a  company 
of  adventurers,  estaljh'shed  several  lishini^  stations  there.  Wiieii  the  Aca- 
dians  eniiifrated  from  Nova  Scotia,  in  171''5,  many  of  them  settled  on  the 
Isle  St.  .Jean,  and  a  garrison  was  stationed  at  Port  la  Joie,  now  Charlotte- 
town.  I>y  the  Treaty  of  Fontaine- 
blcau,  in  1703,  the  island  was  ceded 
to  Great  Ihitain,  and  received  its 
present  name.  The  victorious  (lov- 
ernnient  inunediately  decreed  a  care- 
ful survev  of  the  island,  and  vari- 
ous  }>lans  for  settling  and  dividing 
the  lands  were  proposeil.  Lord  Eg- 
mont,  then  First  Lord  t)f  the  Ad- 
miralty, devised  a  Utopian  scheme 
to  this  end,  which  was  supported  by 
})ow(!rful  inliuences.  It  was  ])ased  on 
the  theory  that  the  perils  from  the 
Indians  and  other  foes  were  much 
more  formidable  than  they  actually 
were.  His  memorial  prayed  for  a 
grant  of  the  whole  island, holding  the 
jf7V^^  same  as  a  lief  to  the  crown  forever. 
The  tMO  million  acres,  more  or 

______  ^^^       _        less,  which  the  island  was  estimated 

*■' ^^^^  ""  '  '■''*■       '"    ■    -^   to  contain,  were  to  be  divided  into 

A\KMK    LKAUlNli    To    UOVEIINMENT    IIUI'SE. 

fifty  parts,  called  baronies  or  hun- 
dreds, forty  of  these  to  be  granted  to  as  many  men  with  the  title  of  Lords 
of  Hundreds,  owing  feudal  allegiance  to  him  as  Lord  Paramount.  These 
baronies  were  in  turn  to  be  subdivided  into  manors  of  two  thousniid  acres 
each.  Five  hundred  acres  frimi  each  barony  were  to  be  set  apart  for 
a  township.  Fairs  were  to  be  held  in  each  barony  four  times  yearly, 
and  market  twice  weekly.  Many  other  feudal  regulations  relating  to 
the  judiciary,  and  the  building  of  numerous  castles  and  other  matters,  were 
included  in  this  extiaordinary  memorial,  which  was  intended  to  transfer 
to  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  a  svstem  better  suited  to  the  state  of  affairs  in 
the  times  of  King  Alfred  and  William  the  Conqueror,  on  the  supposition 
that  the  island  was  a  place  "  where  the  settler  can  scarce  straggle  from 
his  habitation  five  hundred  yards,  even  in  times  of  peace,  without  risk  of 
being  intercepted,  scalped,  and  murdered ;''  the  fact  being  that  the  Mic- 


riUXCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


105 


niiicp,  never  very  nuiiieroii^,  were  (juite  inoffensive,  and  it  is  donljtful  if  ;i 
Mliito  man  ever  lust  his  hair  <tn  the  island,  except  in  the  natnral  way. 

Lord  Ei^inont's  plan  failed  of  acceptance ;  but  another  scheme  for  di- 
vidini;  the  lands,  which  was  adopted,  was  also  open  to  grave  objections, 
as  proved  by  subse(pient  results.  The  island,  with  some  reservations  for 
fortifications,  churches,  and  other  public  purposes,  was  divided  into  sixty- 
six  lots.  One  lot  was  reserved  for  the  crown;  the  remainder  were  in  one 
day  awarded  by  ballot  to  as  many  grantees,  who  had  merited  reward  for 
military  or  political  services.  Quit-rents  were  I'eserved  on  all  these  lots, 
payable  at  the  end  of  ten  years,  it  being  also  stii)ulated  that  each  town- 
ship should  be  settled  within  that  period  by  at  least  one  person  for  every 
two  hundred  acres,  and,  failing  fullilment  of  the  conditions  by  the  gran- 
tees, the  land  to  be  forfeited.  On  a  i>etition  by  the  proprietors,  the  colony 
was  gfranted  a  local  government  of  its  own  ;  but  the  governor  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  king.  Captain  Walter  Patterson  was  the  first  governor, 
and  the  quit-rents  were  made  payable  at  the  end  of  twenty  years. 

The  conditions  accepted  by  the  grantees,  or  those  to  whom  they  sold 
their  rights  ami  <;rants,  were  in  manv  cases  unfulfilled,  and  tliev  thus  law- 
fully  escheated  to  the  crown.  The  acts  of  Governor  Patterson  under  the 
circumstances,  the  action  of  the  home  government,  the  long  struggle,  re- 
sulting in  a  drawn  battle  between  all  concerned,  form  an  intricate  story, 


MAllKET    miLUlNG,   CIlAHLorrETOWN. 


too  long  for  repetition  in  these  pages.  Put  long  since  the  recall  of  Patter- 
son, during  the  present  generation,  new  difKculties  have  arisen,  resembling 
the  famous  anti-rent  wars  of  Xew  York.  Those  whom  the  planters  have 
invited  or  permitted  to  settle  on  their  lands  for  certain  rentals  have,  in 


100 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


many  cases,  claimed  that  the  rents  were  in  excess  of  tlio  value  (»f  tiie 
lands,  or  that  thev  had  already  paid  enonfijh  to  entitle  them  to  hold  the 
lands  they  oecnpy  as  freeholds.  The  ])rol>lem  was  partially  solved  hy  the 
])urchase  of  some  of  the  territory  under  dispute  hy  the  colonial  Cirovern- 
nient,  and  sellini;  it  over  to  the  farmers  under  more  favorahle  conditions. 
Since  the  island  entered  the  Dominion,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1S7<^,  the  ques- 
tion has  ai^ain  come  uj),  and  a  royal  commission  was  appointed  for  the 
appraisal  and  purchase  of  the  lar^e  estates  still  rcmainiui^  in  the  families 
of  the  original  owners,  the  sum  of  ^800,(100  havin<^  heen  aiij>roj)riated  for 
this  ])urpose  hy  the  Dominion  as  one  of  the  Conditions  on  which  the  island 
joined  the  confederation.  Thus  far  the  appraisals  seem  to  have  heeji  fair 
ami  impartial,  althouiih,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  inevit.ahly  j?ivin<^  rise 
to  considerable  discontent  and  hardship  in  some  instances.  It  is  one  of 
those  (piestions  on  which  much  may  he  said  for  each  side,  and  with  record 
to  which  the  public  <;ood  would  appear  to  re(piire  an  ac^t  of  seemini^  bad 
faith  on  the  part  of  the  (iovernment.  The  best  i;ood  of  the  largest  n'uni- 
ber  is  a-riijht  to  be  exercised  with  <;reat  cauti<in,  and  the  moral  (piesti(^n 
involved  in  the  consideration  of  the  rii:;hts  of  the  minority  is  not  often  re- 
garded with  sufHcient  {ittenti(»n  by  a  ruliiii;  majority. 

Since  Prince  Edward  Island  joined  the  Dominion,  it  has  taken  a  fresh 
start  in  the  march  of  improvement,  and  evidences  of  tliis  are  everywhere 
seen  in  its  increasiuijj  connnerce,  the  growiui;  value  of  the  fisheries,  the 
many  new  huildiiiijs  goinj?  up  in  CharUittetown  and  the  eiivirons,  and  the 
new  railroad,  measuring  107  miles  in  lenirth,  and  completed  in  the  year 
1875.  It  is  run  on  a  gauge  so  narrow  that  oidv  three  iiersons  can  sit  in 
the  cars  abreast,  the  seats  being  for  one  and  for  two  persons  alternately  on 
each  side  of  the  car.  The  rolling  stock  was  made  on  the  island,  and  is 
very  creditable.  The  car  windows  are  not  Avashed  (juite  often  enough, 
however.  Ship-building  is  also  in  a  very  tliriving  condition.  In  the  vari- 
ous ship-yards  of  Mount  Stewart,  Sunnnerside,  and  Souris,  I  counted  six- 
teen vessels  going  uj),  from  seventy-five  to  twelve  hundred  tons  in  size,  and 
I  heard  of  others  building  at  Fortune  Bay  and  elsewhere  at  the  same  time. 
The  new  tonnage  built  for  export  for  the  fiscal  year  of  1874-''75  amount- 
ed to  §032,44-0  in  value.  The  total  value  of  the  exports  dui-ing  the  same 
period  was  $1,040,901,  of  which  lumber  was  $105,407;  agricultural  prod- 
ucts, S787,070;  live  stock,  i^94,047;  and  fisheries,  $308,037.  Of  the  last 
item  the  I7nited  States  took  $272,020,  and  the  total  exports  to  the  States 
of  the  products  of  the  island  for  the  year  reached  $305,352.  It  is  worthy 
of  mention  that  the  fisheries  of  the  island  and  the  commerce  in  the  same 
are  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  two  enterprising  Americans,  Messrs.  Churchill 


rWINTE   KDWAKD   ISLAND. 


1J>7 


uiid  Hall.  For  the  saino  period  tlio  total  value  of  tlic  imports  of  Priiuro 
Kdward  Island  aiiiouiited  to  sl,(t7''>,'J--,  tlio  Ijaluiice  of  trade  showitii;  an 
iiiereasiuif  demand  for  fureii^ii  noods.  It  8lioiild  he  addeil  that  the  tore- 
going  data  are  given  on  a  gold  hasis. 

IJiit  one  who  has  been  in  Charlottctown  a  week  or  two  is  not  satistied 
oidy  with  the  evidenees  of  insular  prt»sperity  furnished  at  the  (Government 
offices  by  the  courteous  and  etlicient  servants  of  Her  ^[aj(■^l^•,  or  by  the 
pleasant  glimpses  of  farm,  and  river,  and  sea  gained  from  window  and 
roof.  Tiiese  very  charming  bits  of  nature  only  servo  to  tempt  the  visitor 
to  sally  forth,  and,  in  carriage  or  l)oat  (»r  by  rail,  to  view  for  himself  the 
«'xquisite  beauty  of  the  island,  and  the  proofs  offered  on  evei-y  hand  of 
its  thriving  condition,  as  well  as  tlu;  manifold  attractions  it  olleis  to  the 
tourist  and  invalid — in  summer  and  fall,  should  be  added  with  emphasis. 
In  winter,  which  begins  with  November  and  lasts  until  May  sometimes, 
I'rince  Edward  offers  sjiecial  inducements  to  those  who  enjoy  six  months 
of  snow,  and  unlimited  opportunities  for  sitting  by  the  fii-eside  o'  stormy 
nights  and  listening  to  the  furious  din  of  sleet  and  hail  beating  against 
the  ringing  jianes.  Nortlunnberland  Strait,  which  separates  the  island 
from  the  main-land,  is  frozen  over  from  December  to  April,  or,  rather,  it 
is  tilled  with  lloating  ice,  which  sometimes  freezes  together  in  a  compact 
mass.     Where  the  strait  is  but  nine  miles  wide,  the  mail  is  carried  across 


rAKUYINU    TilC    MAILD    ACIIUSb    NUIlllIL'MUEitLANU     STIIAIT    IN    WINTEIt. 


every  day  on  the  ice,  sometimes  at  great  hazard.  A  1)oat  on  runners  is 
used  to  carry  the  bags,  serving,  as  the  case  may  require,  either  as  boat  or 
sledge.  The  labor  of  going  over  the  ice-hummocks  is  often  excessively 
laborious.     Travel  is,  of  course,  almost  entirely  stopi)ed  for  the  season.     I 


19S 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


\ 


hoard  of  one  liuly  wlu)  went  acToss  on  the  ice  to  attend  l»y  the  hed  of  her 
dyini;  son.  lint  in  sinnmer  tlie  weather  is  moderate  and  eqnable — more 
equable  than  that  of  tlie  adjacent  continent.     V^egetation  springs  forward 


MLNK    ON     IILMKIl    KIN  Lit. 


rapidly  after  the  winter  has  fairly  passed  away ;  and  the  verdure  on  the 
fields,  inclndini;-  wild  tlowers,  continues  later  than  in  the  New  England 
States.  Fogs,  which  arc  common  in  the  Gnlf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  of  Xova  Scotia,  are  verv  rare  on  and  around  Prin(;c  Ed- 
ward  Island ;  and  hay  fever,  that  distressing  comphiint,  avoidable  only  by 
change  of  locality,  is  unknov.-n  on  that  lovely  isle. 

Steamers  ply  up  the  East  and  West  rivers,  and  an  afternoon  spent  oti 
each  of  these  takes  one  through  beautiful  scenery,  and  gives  a  fair  idea 
of  the  characteristic  beauty  of  the  island.  Never  over  live  hundred  feet 
high,  the  landscape  is  rarely  monotonous,  for  in  the  interior  it  is  much 
broken  find  undidating,  while  it  falls  away  toward  the  sea  and  the  bays 
into  gentle  slopes  which  terminate  in  abrupt  red  cliffs  fifty  to  seventy 
feet  high.  The  brilliant  tints — vivid  orange  and  Indian  red — of  the  new 
red  sandstone,  still  in  a  formative  state,  harmonize  admirably  with  the  rich 
ultramarine  of  the  water  and  the  white  truid<s  of  the  bircli  woods,  or  the 
emerald  of  the  natural  lawns  which  gradually  slope  to  the  water,  in  front 


rUIXCK   EinVAKI)   ISLAM). 


109 


of  neat,  cosy  farm -lintises,  kept  in  frond  conditioji,  and  slieltored  from 
the  Nviiitor  i;ulos  I»y  (;limii>s  of  priiimval  lir,  ])iMe.  and  spnice.  Nnwlicre 
very  stiikini^,  the  scencM'y  of  these  rivers  is  charniini;ly  rural  and  j)ietu- 
resqne,  everywhere  jileasinij^,  and  of'terinir  quiet  Hftlo  hits  that  tlie  artistie 
eye  niiijht  transfer  elfeetively  to  canvas.  On  Iloeky  I'oint,  opposite  Char- 
h:)tteto\vn,  is  a  setthnnent  of  Mietnae  Indians,  who  live  by  fishin<r,  huntinj^, 
and  barter.  T\w\  are  inon'cnsivc  and  indulcnt.  J'ut  the  hir<'est  settle- 
ment  of  Mieinacs,  the  only  tribe  now  on  the  island,  is  at  Lennox  Island, 
in  Richmond  I'av,  which  is  reserved  for  them,  and  there  thev  hold  their 
annuid  powwows.  Their  nmnber  is  j^radually  decreasinir,  and  does  not 
now  exceed  three  hundred  and  Jive.  Tliev  are  in  chai'i-e  of  a  special 
commissioner. 

A  delightful  ex(rursion  may  be  nuide  to  Kustico  from  Charlottetown. 
Cioino;  by  rail  to  Hunter  Kiver  Station,  one  finds  himself  at  once  in  a 
iH'autifnl  rcijion  amonji^  liills,  and  i^lens,  and  wooded  sti-eams.  Thence  a 
carriage  carries  the  traveller  over  farming  country  resembling  some  of 
tilt!  most  beautiful  iiortions  of  old  Kngland,  by  wav  of  Wheatlev  Itiver 
to  Kustico  liay.     On  the  road  I  passed  a  country  school-house  at  rccess- 


F18ll-llUUSe    AND    UTAUE,   AND    KISHING-BOATS,   Hl'BTICU. 


time.  The  children  were  playing  in  the  road,  but  when  thev  saw  the 
carriage  ajiproaching  they  ranged  tliemselves  in  a  row,  and  as  I  went  by 
the  girls  courtesied  low,  and  the  lads  bowed  in  the  most  respectful  manner. 


II      ! 


200 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


It  was  a  quaint  and  pleasinuj  sight,  and  .  iglit  be  imitated  by  our  scliool- 
diildieii  with  advantage.  Passing  by  tlie  French  settlement  and  Roman 
Catholic  church  at  llustico,  we  jogged  along  to  the  end  of  a  peninsula  that 


I*  ' 


\\ 


111 


FISIIING-BOATS    BEATING    INTO    IIUSTirO    lIAKBUIt,   IIGT^KKN    TIIK    HAIl    AM)    Tilt:    SPIT:     BATIIINQ-UOUSE    IN   THE    FURE- 

GKOUND. 

is  near  tlie  mouth  of  the  ba}*.  The  last  jiart  of  the  way  was  over  a  kelp- 
strewn  beach  which  is  covered  at  high  tide.  There,  on  a  bluff,  I  found 
the  Rustico  House,  admirably  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  spruce  woods. 
Facing  the  bay,  like  a  breakwater,  lies  a  sand-spit  tufted  with  long  salt 
grass.  Opposite  the  hotel  is  the  entrance  into  the  bay.  The  flashing  roll- 
ers of  the  St.  Lawrence  Gulf  break  on  a  bar  across  the  mouth,  and  be- 
tween the  bar  and  the  shore  is  a  narrow,  shallow  channel.  Through  this, 
twice  daily  during  the  season,  the  little  fishing-schooners  of  the  port  pass 
out  to  fish  for  shore  mackerel  and  herring,  it  is  a  very  pretty  sight  to 
M'atch  a  fleet  of  these  white-sailed  fishermen  dodging  in  and  out  about 
the  bar.  The  fish  are  landed  on  stages  built  out  over  the  water  inside 
the  port.  Outside  of  the  spit,  on  the  sandy  beach,  there  is  excellent  surf 
bathing,  and  bathing-houses  are  also  furnished  to  visito!*s,  who  enjoy,  in 
addition,  good  boating  facilities;  and,  of  course,  ca])ital  sport  is  afforded 
for  those  who  love  the  rod  and  the  line.     The  mackerel  fishing  outside 


PRINCE   EDWARD   ISLAND. 


201 


is  exciting  ami  novel,  while  the  llniiter  ami  Wheatley  rivers  in  the  ini- 
niediate  vicinity  offer  nnnierous  attractions  to  sjX)rtsinen,  especially  in  sea- 
trout  lisliing.  The  sea  trout  is  a  iish  peculiar  to  the  waters  of  Pi-ince  Ed- 
ward Island,  livin<^  in  rivers  or  arms  of  the  sea  which,  influenced  hy  the 
tides,  are  alternately  salt  and  fresh.  It  is  the  size  of  the  lake  trout,  with 
silvery  skin,  and  pink  flesh  like  that  of  the  salmon.  It  is  caui>;ht  with  the 
fly,  and  is  game  for  the  best  s])ortsinen.  The  season  for  this  fish  is  chiefly 
during  June  and  July,  and  East  Iliver,  near  Charlottetown,  Dunk,  Mo- 
rell,  Winter,  Hunter,  and  Trout  rivers  are  the  streams  in  which  it  is  most 
ahinidant.  Salmon  is  also  counnon  in  these  streams;  but  shad  is  scarce. 
All  the  rivers  of  the  island  were  restocked  in  1870,  and  the  Douiiuion 
fishing  laws  euforced.  Lobsters  are  very  abundant,  and  large  cunning 
factories  have  been  established  at  Albcrton  and  Souris.  Duck,  snipe,  teal, 
plover,  quail,  aud  other  game  are  sufficiently  abundant  to  make  hunting 
attractive,  and  dogs  traiued  for  sport  are  connuon.  Wolves  and  deer,  for- 
merly plenty,  are  now  all  but  extinct;  but  a  few  beaver  and  otter  are  still 
found :  and  in  the  tangled  deptiis  of  the  primeval  forests,  which  still  exist 
here  and  there,  black  bears  are  quite  mimerous,  hibernating  undisturbed 
in  winter,  and  creeping  forth  sometimes  ii\  sunnner  to  try  a  fat  slice  out 


FISHINQ    PAKTT. 


of  a  tender  young  heifer.  Oysters  of  the  finest  quality  abound  in  the 
bays  of  Prince  Edward  Island.  They  are  not  as  large  as  our  largest,  but 
they  make  up  for  size  in  flavor  and  lusciousness.     Bedeque  oysters  from 


202 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


Richmond  Eay  are  already  famous,  and  are  shipped  in  large  quantities  to 
Great  Britain  and  other  parts  of  tiie  Dominion. 

The  agricidtnral  products  of  the  island  are  of  less  relative  importance 
than  those  of  its  watei-s,  yet  they  are  noteworthy.  The  woodlands,  con- 
sisting of  beech,  birch,  maple,  spruce,  and  tir  chiefly,  are  gradually  thin- 
ning out,  while  the  product  of  grain,  and  hay,  and  vegetables,  especially 
potatoes,  is  increasing.  Fruits  are  in  a  backward  state,  and  must  always 
remain  more  or  less  so,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  summers.  The  apples 
are  hard  and  sour  at  best.  Apple-pies  there  mnst  be  made  according 
to  a  receipt  furnished  by  a  sprightly  young  lady  of  the  island :  "  Put 
in  sugar  as  long  as  your  conscience  will  allow ;  then  shut  your  eyes  and 
throw  it  in  by  handfuls."  Rich  pasture  is  seen  everywhere,  and  the  land- 
scape is  dotted  in  all  directions  with  cattle  and  horses.  As  one  rides  along 
the  roads  and  sees  the  beautiful  horses  and  colts  galloping  or  grazing  on 
every  farm,  he  is  reminded  of  the  Homeric  period  when  Thessaly  was 
famed  for  its  steeds,  and  the  heroes  of  the  Trojan  war  were  styled  owners 
or  tamers  of  fast  horses. 

Returning  to  Hunter  River  Station  over  the  highest  land  on  the  island 
by  the  very  charming  road  through  New  Glasgow,  the  tourist  can  take 
the  cars  to  Souris,  at  the  north-eastern  end  of  the  island.  The  railroad 
in  this  direction  jiasses  through  a  more  level  country,  but  more  savage 
and  melanchol}',  because  less  inhabited,  and  presenting  waste  moorlands 
abandoned  to  the  rabl)it,  the  grouse,  and  the  bear.  At  Mount  Stewart 
a  branch  of  the  road  turns  off  to  Georgetown,  on  (Jardigan  Bay,  a  sleepy, 
an>tocratic,  nnenterprising  town.  Souris  is  quite  the  reverse.  Originally 
a  French  settlement,  and  receiving  its  name  from  a  swarm  of  liold-mice 
which  once  invaded  it,  the  little  place,  since  the  railroad  has  reached  it, 
has  sj)rung  into  a  new  existence.  Houses  are  risi)ig  in  every  direction, 
and  its  ship-yards  ring  with  the  merry,  tumultuous  din  of  calkers'  mal- 
lets. The  port  is  exposed  to  southerly  gales.  Some  years  ago  twenty- 
three  schooners  went  ashore  there  in  one  day.  But  the  Dominion  has 
appropriated  $60,000  to  continue  the  breakwater  across  part  of  it,  and 
this  will  give  a  fresh  impetus  to  the  prosperity  of  one  of  the  most  thriv- 
ing towns  1  have  seen  in  the  Dominion.  The  neigliborhood  of  Souris 
is  very  attractive.  The  drives  are  of  the  most  pleasing  character,  the  land- 
scape quiet,  home-like,  and  yet  stimulating  to  the  imagination.  At  Gowan 
Brae,  the  late  residence  of  John  MacGowan,  Esq.,  is  a  hillock  which  bears 
unmistakable  evidences  of  being  artificial,  and  it  is  most  probably  the 
funeral  mound  of  an  Indian  chief  of  other  days. 

Malpeque,  or  Richmond  Bay,  near  the  west  end  of  Prince  Edward 


rUINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND. 


203 


I>l;ind,  is  a  lar2;G  and  beautiful  slioet  of  water.  The  island  is  here  hut 
three  miles  wide,  for  J>edeque  I>ay  nuikes  a  deep  indentation  on  the  south- 
ern shore.  On  the  latter  lies  Sumnierside,  a  town  which  scarcely  had  an 
existence  twenty  yeare  a<.^o.  It  has  not  grown  quite  as  rapidly  as  Chicago ; 
but  within  iive  years  it  has  greatly  gained  in  commercial  importance, 
and  in  that  respect  appears  to  be  in  advance  of  any  other  town  on  the 
island,  except  Charlottetown.  The  steamer  which  connects  Prince  Edward 
with  the  railroad  on  the  main-land  p.ies  daily  between  Summerside  and 
Shedia(!,  thirty-five  miles  distant,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  strait.  On 
each  side  the  cars  run  out  on  a  jetty  to  meet  the  boat.  This,  of  course, 
adds  greatly  to  the  business  activity  f>f  Summerside.  In  the  bay,  a  mile 
from  the  town,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dunk  River,  is  Indian  Island, 
on  which  Mr.  Ilolman,  one  of  the  enterprising  men  of  Summerside,  has 
erected  a  hotel  called  the  Island  Park  Hotel.  This  islet  is  just  one  mile 
in  circumference,  and  is  overgrown  with  picturesque  primeval  woods. 
These  liave  been  very  judiciously  intersected  by  rural  drives  and  walks. 
The  building  itself,  M'hich  is  after  the  American  plan,  faces  the  harbor 
and  the  town ;  and  bath-houses,  billiard-tables,  bowling-alleys,  and  other 
decoys  to  attract  the  traveller  in  search  of  health  or  pleasure,  are  provided. 
At  low  tide  the  strait  on  the  south  side  can  be  easily  forded,  and  the  drives 
on  that  part  of  Prince  Edward  Island  are  charming'. 

Of  the  people,  so  far  as  personal  observation  goes,  I  can  speak  favora- 
bly. Among  them  are  many  descendants  of  loyalists  of  our  Revolution, 
who  are  generally  more  opposed  to  the  United  States  than  others.  The 
general  feeling  toward  our  country  is,  however,  apparently  friendly,  and, 
until  quite  recently,  the  desire  for  a  reciprocity  treaty  was  very  strong. 
But  underneath  is,  I  am  convinced,  an  undercurrent  strongly  English, 
notw"':hstanding  that  the  people  are  really  more  like  Yankees  than  Eng- 
lishmen in  their  habits  and  language.  There  is  just  difference  enough 
between  their  ships,  their  houses,  their  vehicles  or  agricultural  tools,  their 
papers  and  their  colloquial  diction,  for  a  careful  observer  to  note  that  he 
is  not  in  the  United  States;  but  often  the  difference  is  nearly  impercep- 
tible. It  is  in  their  value  of  time  that  I  discovered  the  greatest  dissimi- 
larity. The  phrase  "Time  is  money"  is  certaiidy  not  true  on  Prince  Ed- 
ward Island,  however  true  it  may  be  with  us.  No  one  is  on  hand  when 
ho  should  be.  Everything  is  done  with  a  leisure  that  would  imply  lon- 
gevity rivalling  that  of  Methuselah.  Punctuality  in  the  hours  of  meals 
at  the  hotels  is  a  thing  not  dreamed  of,  resulting  in  great  waste  of  time 
and  cold  food.  Nor  did  I  see  anv  evidence  anywhere  or  in  the  character 
of  any  one  that  indicated  that  the  word  has  any  meaning  on  Prince  Ed- 


204 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


'ii 


ward  Island.  This  taking  life  easy  is  a  very  delightful  thing  under  some 
circumstances,  but  it  will  nut  do  in  this  age  and  in  the  Western  World, 
in  the  wholesale  maimer  in  which  it  is  practised  on  that  beautiful  island, 
for  those  who  desire  to  rise  in  the  world.  And  herein  seems  to  be  partly 
the  reason  M'hy  the  British  Trovinees  of  North  America  have  not  \n-o- 
gressed  as  rapidly  as  their  neighbors  south  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Of  the  hospitality  of  the  islanders  I  can  si)eak  in  high  terms;  and 
to  Mr.  Campbell,  author  of  a  forth-coming  history  of  the  island,  and 
many  others,  the  writer  is  indebted  for  numerous  acts  of  courtesv,  mIui^Ii 
aided  to  render  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  a 
fascinating  pleasure  excursion.  I  returned  by  way  of  Sunnnerside,  Slie- 
diac,  and  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  arriving  at  the  latter  place  in  ten 
hours  from  the  island.  From  St.  John,  Portland  can  be  reached  by  jail 
or  steamboat,  and  the  tourist  who  does  not  like  travelling  by  Mater  can 
thus  go  to  Prince  Edward  Island  entirely  by  land,  excepting  the  thirty- 
five  miles  in  a  strong  boat  across  Northumberland  Strait. 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


205 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ISLES    OF    SHOALS. 

ABOUT  seven  miles  from  the  coast  of  New  Hampshire  lie  the  Isles 
of  Shoals.  Their  situation  is  admirably  plaimed  with  a  view  to  har- 
monizing the  sometimes  conlliuting  wants  of  guests  and  landlords,  of  tour- 
ists and  invalids,  and  of  the  proprietors  of  hotels.     They  seem  to  be  a 


SllAU     ANU     JIINUO     KOIKS,    DLIK     ISLAND. 


cluster  of  nuggets  conveniently  dropped  off  our  coast  whci'C  they  can  be 
turned  into  current  coin  by  enterprising  hotel-keepers,  artists,  poets,  and 
scribblers  of  a  thrifty  turn. 

Often  had  1  passed  by  these  islets,  in  all  times  and  weathers,  and 
welcomed  the  gleam  of  the  friendly  light  on  White  Island,  which  warns 
the  mariner  to  give  them  a  wide  berth  in  heavy  weather.  But  the  first 
fine  I  ever  landed  there  was  on  a  yachting  cruise  a  year  or  two  ago. 
Once  before  had  I  started  for  the  "  Shoals"  in  my  little  sloop,  the  Zephyr, 
but  we  so  loitered  on  the  way,  fascinated  by  the  many  curious  attractive 
nooks  along  the  coast,  that  when  we  at  last  stood  across  toward  the  islands 
v,e  wpre  overtaken  by  a  gale  of  wind  and  forced  to  put  into  Newburyport, 
and  sailed  thence  directly  for  home.  But  at  length  it  was  ''-  jtined  that  I 
should  reach  the  islands,  having  been  invited  to  make  one  of  a  party  in  a 
small  sloop-yacht,  and  assist  in  navigating  her. 

It  was  a  charming  morning  in  July.     Various  express  wagons  brought 


•2i)G 


J"  I  IK  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


I 
ii 
1,. 

I-  ji! 
S 


^i   'i 


^ 


liuuii 


'jfis& 


I^>rnl(intr  I-^  ,:'^ 


to  Webb's  Wharf,  in 
Salem,   panniers    of 
provisions,     bundles 
of  bedding  and  cloth- 
ing, a  breaker  of  wa- 
ter, and    a    medley 
of  all  sorts  of  arti- 
cles    liable    to    bo 
needed   in   a  yacht- 
ing cruise.     And  af- 
ter   everything    M-as 
in   readiness,  Frank, 
the  hired  hand  who 
was   to    help    about 
the    yacht,  and    do 
such  odds  and  ends 
of  work  as  we  were  willing  to  shirk,  nuide  his  appearance. 
He  had  served  on  a  crack  yacht,  and  claimed  to  be  able 
to  do  all  that  is  re(piired  of  an  able  seaman.     His  pnv 
fessions  were  found  to  be  rather  in  advance  of  his  ca- 
pacity.     This,  however,  is   so   common   a  trait   that   it 
hardly  placed  him  at  a  disadvantage  in  comparison  with 
other  mortals.     Frank  rowed  us  out  to  the  yacht,  anil 
we  immediately  made  sail,  and,  casting  off  the  moorings, 
fell  off  before  a  sontherlv  breeze. 

The  wind  was  light,  about  sou'-sou'-west,  but  with 
the  aid  of  the  gaff-topsail  and  jib-topsail  we  fanned  along  slowly.  After 
passing  Kettle  Cove  the  breeze  began  to  freshen,  and  when  we  came  abreast 
of  Gloucester  the  "  kites"  were  taken  in.  Standing  out  past  Cape  Ann  and 
Milk  Island,  wo  sailed  around  Thatcher's  Island,  whose  twin  light-houses, 
towering  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  seem  placed  there  like  giant  sentinels 
to  guard  the  approach  to  the  coast.  The  wind,  as  the  day  wore  on,  became 
very  stiff,  with  quite  a  "  lump  of  a  sea;"  but  as  the  yacht  was  faii'ly  " shoot- 
ing "  like  a  frightened  steed,  we  hoped  that  we  should  be  able  to  reach 

The  probability 
a  summer  breeze,  which  might  shift  to  the  west- 
jquall,  as  it  often  does  on  the  North  Atlantic,  and 


the  Shoals  before  the  wind  should  grow  much  stronger 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


207 


go  down  with  the  sun.  If  tliat  proved  to  he  the  ease,  we  could  run  for 
Portsmouth  or  Newburyiiort,  for  these  shifts  of  the  wind  are  generally 
well  aiuiounced  to  the  experienced  eye, 

"When  we  were  about  half-way  between  Cape  Ami  and  the  Slioals, 
we  all  went  below  to  take  some  refreshments,  leaving  Frank  in  charge 
of  the  helm.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  centre-board  was  up,  and  the 
slooj)  steered  a  littlo  wildly  ;  but  with  a  safe  hand,  there  was  no  reason  wliy 
she  could  not  be  Ir'ft  to  his  care  alone,  unless  the  wind  should  freshen. 
Xotwithstanding  the  breeze,  the  day  was  warm,  anil  it  was  wisely  decided 
to  prepare  a  mild  brew  suited  to  the  occasion,  and  largely  flavored  with 
the  pure  juice  of  the  lemon. 

"Now,  this  is  what  I  call  jolly,"  said  Yarney,  with  enthusiasm,  reclin- 
ing on  the  cushion  and  affectionatelv  re<;arding  his  glass. 

"  It  reminds  me,"  said  Bent,  "  of  what  Mohammed,  father  of  the  late 
Sultan,  used  to  say  when  he  (puiffed  lemonade  in  the  gilded  halls  of  the 
Seraglio.  Holding  uj)  his  jewelled  gol)let,  brinuning  witii  lemonade  cooled 
with  the  snows  of  Olympus,  he  would  exclaim,  "As  I  am  the  King  of 
kings,  so  this  is  the  king  of  driidcs!" 

"  Well,  he  knew  what's  good,  that's  evident,"  said  Jim. 

"It  reminds  me,"  said  Varney,  "of  when  I  was  in  the  army.  It  was 
a  blistering  hot  day ;  we'd  had  a  brush  with  the  enemy  the  day  before, 
and  a  rather  lively  time  of  it,  as  you  may  guess,  for  my  horse  was  shot 
under  me,  and  I  had  a  ball  through  my  hat  that  grazed  my  hair.  Well, 
that's  neither  here  nor  there.  What  I  was  going  to  say  was,  that  the 
colonel  said  to  me, '  Varney,  what  do  you  say  now  to — ' " 

Varney  did  not  finish  his  sentence,  for  on  the  instant  the  yacht,  with- 
out the  slightest  warning,  gave  a  tremendous  lurch  to  starboard,  lying 
over  almost  on  her  beam  ends,  the  sea  boiling  furiously  on  deck,  and 
pouring  through  the  open  dead-light  of  the  trunk  into  the  cuddy.  Down 
went  glasses,  plates,  and,  in  fact,  everything  movable  in  the  cabin,  in  a 
broken  and  confused  mess  to  leeward ;  while  Varnev,  ■with  outstretched 
arms,  pitched  headlong  into  .  e's  stomach  and  nearly  squeezed  the  breath 
out  of  his  body,  Jim  plunging  in  turn,  with  all  his  huge  size  and  weight, 
on  the  three  others. 

As  soon  as  this  crushed,  mauled,  and  puffing  pile  of  humanity  could 
return  to  its  individual  parts,  I  scrambled  to  the  companion-way,  and,  in 
the  mildest  terms  that  the  circumstances  would  allow,  demanded  of  Frank 
what  he  was  trying  to  do  with  the  yacht. 

"Oh,  nothin';  I  just  thought  I'd  let  her  jibe,  that's  all,"  he  answered, 
sulkily. 


208 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


11' 
IP' 

m 


i\ 


WIlALE's-BArK    LI(;ilT. 


"Yon  just  thoiifijht  yonVl  let  lier  jibe,  did  yon?  Yon  mean  that  yon 
•were  not  minding  your  bnsinoss;  that's  wliat's  the  matter.  Any  lubber 
could  tell  yon  that  to  jibe  a  sloop  like  this  under  such  canvas,  in  such 
a  breeze  and  such  a  sea,  is  just  the  way  to  carry  away  your  main-boom 
or  capsize  the  sloop." 

"  If  yon  think  yon  can  steer  her  any  better,  just  yon  take  the  helm 
yourself!"  Frank  retorted,  rising  surlily  and  going  forward.  He  was 
too  conscious  that  it  was  sheer  carelessness  that  had  brought  us  so  near 
a  serious  accident  to  say  anything  more  in  his  defense. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals  were  now  rising  rapidly,  bine  and  beautiful,  in  the 
north.  Another  hour  brought  us  close  to  them,  and,  rounding  a  reef  on 
which  the  sea  was  breaking  with  vast  masses  of  flashing  foam,  we  stood 
in  for  the  cove  between  Appledore  and  Star  Island,  where  a  number  of 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


L'dO 


yaclits  were  Iviiif]^.  ^Xq  also  would  liavc  ijladly  selected  a  berth  and  eome 
to  anchor,  for  it  looked  verv  iiivitiiii'  on  the  islands.  IJut  t'le  skv  to 
windward  was  nv»w  very  threatenin*;.  A  ij;riin  thunder-storm  uas  rolling 
u])  in  the  u  -st,  and  all  the  yachts  «at  the  "  k^'hoals"  were  making  sail  to  run 
for  a  safe  harbor  at  Portsmouth.  Our  yacht  was  therefore  brou<;ht  ai'ound 
on  the  port  tack,  and  headed  in  the  same  direction,  with  the  wind  ju>t 
abeam.  It  was  a  lively  siijjht  as  m'c  approached  Whale's-back  Lit^ht,  sail 
after  sail  converii;iiii;  toward  the  mouth  of  the  Piscata(pni,  and  the  black, 
scowling  mass  of  clouds  from  the  westward,  streaked  with  lightning  and 
muttering  deep  th\mders,  overarching  the  whole  sky.  The  tide  and  cur- 
rent, both  running  out  against  the  southerly  sea,  made  quite  a  high,  abrupt, 
and  irregular  chop;  but  the  yacht,  still  under  whole  main-sail  and  jib, 
behaved  beautifully.  She  was  fairly  under  the  lee  of  the  laud  when  a 
blinding  flash  and  a  deafening  i»eal  broke  overhead,  while  a  pelting  ,sheet 
of  rain  and  a  powerful  sipiall  of  wind  sti'uck  the  fleet  of  yachts.  We  were 
just  in  time;  letting  go  the  halyards,  we  rounded  to  and  dropped  anchor 
in  a  sinig  cove,  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  small  craft,  and  then  ran  below 
to  escape  the  deluge  which  poured  down.  In  half  an  hour  the  squall 
had  gone  off  to  leeward,  the  settinj.;  sun  came  out  brilliantly,  and  a  noble 
rainbow  spanned  the  gloom  of  the  icucating  storm. 

On  the  following  day  the  barometer  foretold  a  gale  of  wind ;  and  so, 
with  the  other  yachts,  wq  concluded  to  run  farther  up  to  Portsmouth, 
where  we  should  find  more  to  entertain  us  while  waitin";  for  irood  weather. 
The  sloop  easily  stenmied  the  tortuous,  eddying,  rushing  waters  of  the 
Piscataqua,  and,  successfully  passing  Pull-aiul-be-danmed  Point,  where  the 
currents  and  eddies  are  peculiarly  trying  to  an  unsanctiHed  temper,  we 
anchored  in  Portsmouth  harbor,  opposite  the  Xavy-yard  at  Kittery. 

Some  si.xty  or  seventy  yachts,  many  of  them  among  the  flnest  craft 
afloat,  were  clustered  there,  and  it  was  a  very  brilliant  sight,  a  spectacle 
full  of  inexhaustible  interest,  to  one  who  has  a  passion  for  naval  archi- 
tecture, and  is  smitten  with  the  yachting  fever — a  passion  whicOi  is  born 
with  a  man,  and  leaves  him  oidy  M'hen  he  goes  to  a  world  where  yachts 
and  yachting  are  unknown.  The  ancient,  storied,  little  city  swarmed 
with  yachtsmen  in  characteristic  rig,  and  the  coming  race  was  a  topic 
M'hich  afforded  a  common  ground  on  which  all  could  meet  and  talk  until 
the  wee  sma'  hours.  To  your  true  sailor,  a  love  for  shii)s  and  the  sea 
aftords  a  connnon  bond  of  union  not  unlike  that  of  freemasonry.  The 
subject  he  has  at  heart  is  Sanscrit  to  the  landsman,  and  the  sea  terms  he 
uses  are  but  unintelligible  gibberish  to  all  out  of  the  guild. 

The  gale  of  wind  lasted  two  days,  and  was  followed  by  a  mild  west- 

14 


210 


TIIK  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


erly  broozo,  and  sis  fair  a  sininnpr's  day  as  ever  shone  on  New  Encjland's 
shore.  iNearly  one  hnndi'cd  and  forty  yachts,  hargc  and  small,  collected 
at  tlie  Shoals,  many  of  thorn  drawn  thither  to  witness  the  race  which 
came  off  during  the  day.     Of  course,  the  Islands  were  thronged  with  vis- 


Ul'CK    lilLAM),     Klto.M     AI'l'LEUOKi:, 


itors,  and  it  was  indeed  a  gala-day  at  sea.  One  may  well  say  "at  sea," 
speaking  of  this  cluster  of  islets,  for  they  are  all  so  small,  the  effect  to  one 
v.'ho  lives  on  them  is  quite  tlisit  of  being  "at  sea,"  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  term.  They  are  all  more  rocks,  none  of  them  rising  exactly  to  the 
dignity  of  islands,  but  they  are  generally  ])laccd  so  near  together  that  sev- 
eral of  them  give  the  impression  of  forming  one  island.  Were  they  more 
isolated  and  distinct,  their  minute  dimensions  woidd  be  more  apparent. 
Their  total  area  is  less  than  one  square  mile. 

These  islets  were  first  discovered  by  Champlain,  and  later  by  Gosnold. 
Probably  the  first  white  man  wlio  visited  them  was  Captain  John  Smith, 
who  called  them  Smith's  Isles,  and  so  they  appeared  on  the  old  charts  for 
a  while.  Although  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor  of  the  beanty  of  the 
name,  it  seems  a  pity  that  this  indefatigable  wanderer  and  explorer  slionld 
not  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  attaching  his  name  permanently  on  some 
one  of  the  many  spots  he  visited  during  his  romantic  career.  The  pres- 
ent name  of  the  islands  seems,  in  the  absence  of  any  definite  information 
on  the  subject,  to  have  been  suggested  by  the  clustering  of  so  many  rocks 
together,  like  a  shoal  or  school  of  fish. 

Appledore,  the  largest  of  the  group,  is  perhaps  two-thirds  of  a  mile 
long.     It  is  divided  into  two  portions  by  a  valley  and  two  inlet«.     There 


ISLES   OF   SHOALS. 


mi 


18  one  tree  on  tlie  i>lo,  a  venerable  elm,  attacilied  to  the  piazza  of  the  hotel. 
But  altli(jUi;h  (k'stitiito  of  trees,  like  all  tlio  iici^'lihurini;  islets,  Appledore 
is  ()ver_<^n»\vii  with  tiu;  tanijled  meshes  of  hlackhcrrv,  raspberry,  and  l)lue- 
herry  vines;  and  many  richly  tinted  lichens  c.lotlu!  the  rocks,  while  the 
sweet-scented  hay  breathes  its  fragrance  on  the  summer  air.  The  shores, 
as  in  all  of  these  isles,  arc  bare,  eom[)osed  of  red  granitic  and  trap  rocks, 
IteantifuUv  harmoni/inij  with  the  vivid  hues  of  sea  and  sky  on  a  clear  dav. 
Xatnre,  however  brilliant  her  colors,  never  allows  her  effects  to  be  out 
of  tone.  Her  magical  atmos[)hero  scumbles  and  glazes  every  object  into 
miison  with  the  lands(;apo  in  which  it  ai»i»ears.  Although  never  very 
high,  the  cliffs  of  Appledore  aro  often  bold  and  uncompronusing  in  tlie 
nsjiect  which  they  present;  to  tlio  , — 
suiges  of  easterly  gales.  South 
Gorge  is  a  very  striking  ])it  of  rock  I 
scenery,  whose  trap  cliffs,  eaten  away 
by  the  battering  surf  of  untold  ages, 
actually  overhang  the  sea. 

North  of  Ai)i>l(Mlore  is  Duck  Isl- 
and, perhaps  a  mile  distant.  It  is  a 
low,  uninhabited  isle,  surrounded  by 
the  Shag  and  JMingo  rocks,  and  a 
net- work  of  reefs  which  seem  laid 
to  entrap  unlucky  vessels  sailing  by. 
Duck  Island,  Appledore,  and  the 
three  adjoining  islets  belong  to 
Maine,  while  the  four  southern  isles 
form  part  of  New  JIampshirc.  This 
seems  to  be  an  absurd  and  unneces- 
sary geographical  division. 

A])pledore  was  the  first  to  be  set- 
tled, and  until  the  close  of  the  sev- 
enteenth centiu'y  was  o(!cnpied  by 
a  flourishing  hamlet,  including  a 
church,  and  an  academy  of  wide  re- 
pute. But  of  all  this  nothing  now 
remains  but  the  site  of  a  few  houses 
and  a  cemetery.  The  old  settlement 
had  long  passed  away  when  the  lion.  Henry  B.  Laighton,  once  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  of  New  Hampshire,  became  weary  of  the  haunts  of  men, 
and  disgusted  with  his  race.     lie  sought  and  obtained  the  office  of  keeper 


m 


212 


TlIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


of  the  U;^'lit-lioiit:o  on  White  Ishiml.  After  rcinaiiiiii^  tliere  six  years,  he 
removed  to  Appledoro,  iuul  tliere  hiiilt  hiiiirielf  u  house,  where  he  rcinaiiied 
until  hid  death.     For  twentv-five  years  this  niudern  Tiniou  mized  on  the 


I  , 


-1 


gOUTII-EAST    END    Of    APPLKOORK,    LOOKINU    SOl'TH. 


main-land,  but  a  few  miles  off,  but  never  stepped  foot  on  it  acjain.  He  is 
buried  on  a  knoll  a  few  yards  from  the  hotel  which  gradually  grew  up 
under  his  charge.  From  offering  a  sheUer  to  the  occasional  visitors  who 
sometimes  sought  the  islands,  he  gradually  became  the  proprietor  of  a 
large  and  fashionable  hotel,  thronged  by  hundreds  of  guests.  This  hotel 
is  now  under  the  charge  of  his  two  sons.  His  daughter,  Mrs.  Celia  Thax- 
ter,  the  well-known  poetco^  .u  historian  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  resides  in 
a  house  adjoining  the  hotel. 

Small  as  are  these  isles,  they  have  already  given  rise  to  a  literature  of 


ISLKS  OF   S!K)ALS. 


213 


tliuir  own.  (^ai)tiiin  Smith  and  Cotton  Mjithcr  luivo  consiileniljlo  to  Fay 
ultoiit  tlii'iu  in  ([iiaint  ainl  vii^orous  Knijlisli.  Tlie  town  reeortla  of  (Jos- 
port,  on  Star  Island,  are  cntertaininuj,  l)otli  as  local  history  and  specimens 
of  Kiijijlish  nndctiled  l>y  the  learninjj^  of  the  schools.  Mr.  .Icnners  and 
Mr.  Chadwick,  this  poet,  have  both  written  capital  historical  and  descM-iptive 
skefches  of  the  islands.  The  ballads  fonndiMl  on  the  romantic  scenes 
that  have  occnrred  on  the  Isles  of  Shoals  have  given  Mrs.  Thaxtcr  a 
well-known  position  as  a  writer  of  j»ictures(pie  verec,  and  have  dune  nnich 
to  invest  the  Isles  of  Shoals  with  that  delicate  veil  of  i-oniancc;  and  legend, 
that  air  of  sentiment  and  hnman  interest,  which  add  an  indesctribable 
charm  to  the  attractions  of  natural  scenery.  It  is  not  so  nuich  the  actual 
man  as  the  memory  of  his  existence  in  a  rural  or  sea  solitude  which  en- 
iiaiuies  the  interest  of  a  landscape. 

Smutty  Nose,  n(»w  called  Haley's  Island,  is  next  in  size  to  A]>])lodore, 
which  it  adjoins.  Its  tirst  name  was  derived  from  a  dark-hued  leduje 
that  still  bears  the  name.  The  rocks  called  Malaj^a  and  Cedar  Isles  are 
dose  to  it,  and,  together  with  the  breakwater  between  Haley's  and  Cedar, 
form  the  harbor  of  the  Shoals,  a  commodious  and  tolerably  safe  port,  ex- 
cept in  gales  from  south-west  to  north-west.  Haley's  was  named  after 
Mr.  Sainuel  Haley,  one  of  the  former  inhabitants,  who  found,  even  on 
this  minute  theatre  of  action,  room  for  the  development  of   the  noble 


4 


iH: 


IIALEY'.S    DIM  K    AM>    IIOMRSTKAD. 

(In  the  third  house  from  the  left  the  Wagner  nmrtler  was  committed.) 


qualities  which  maiK  the  upright  and  public-spirited  citizen.  He  built 
windmills  to  grind  the  grain,  which  grew  more  liberally  on  Haley's  Island 
than  on  the  other  isles,  and  laid  out  a  rope-walk.    He  was  also  a  sheep 


WW 


214 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


=  1 


and  cattle  i^razer  on  a  somewhat  limited  territory.  But  his  memorv  is 
chiefly  to  be  cherished  because  of  his  solicitude  for  the  storm-tossed  sailor. 
For  many  years  a  light  shone  in  his  window  at  night  to  warn  the  passing 


LEDCiE    OF    IIOCKS,    llALEV's    ISLAM). 


ship  away  from  those  cruel  rocks.  lie  also  built  the  breakwater  with 
the  ])roceeds  of  three  bars  of  silver  M'hich  he  found  under  a  cliff,  doubt- 
less washed  ashore  from  some  hapless  wreck,  and  he  afterward  added 
a  wharf,  which,  although  now  in  a  dilai)idated  condition,  affords  a  safe 
shelter  for  boats.  Near  his  grave  are  the  gi'aves  of  the  Spanisli  sailors 
of  the  slap  Sagunto,  which  was  wrecked  in  a  winter  snow-storm.  Tiiose 
who  live  on  that  bleak  coast,  and  have  often  seen  the  terrible  gloum  and 
severit}'  of  a  north-easterly  storm  in  December,  know  well  what  must  have 
been  the  sufferings  of  that  ill-fatc-d  crew.  Their  nameless  gravestones 
were  erected  by  the  sympathetic  kindness  of  Mr.  Haley,  who  now  lies 
in  turn  at  their  side;  for  to  all  mankind  there  is  a  common  lot.  "Whether 
at  sea  or  in  jiort,  all  are  wrecked  at  last. 

Ilalev's   Island   has  acciuired   a    melancholy  celebrity   within   a  few 

V  X  t^  «/ 

years  by  the  awful  tragedy  of  March,  187^.  Louis  Wagner  had  an  idea 
that  he  should  And  money  in  the  house  of  a  Swedish  family  then  liv- 
ing there.  lie  rowed  in  the  moonlight  from  Portsmouth,  and  stole  un- 
noticed on  the  sleeping  inmates,  who  suspected  no  danger  in  the  quiet 
little  isle,  where  only  the  seas  seemed  savage.  Mario  Christianson  he  mur- 
dered in  the  house.  Aimetta,  her  sister-in-law,  who  had  escaped,  half 
awake,  through  the  window,  was  standing  there,  stupefied  with  horror,  when 
he  stealthily  crept  up  behind  her,  and,  with  one  blow  of  an  axe,  completed 
the  bloody  tragedy.  Marie  Ilontve'i,  flying  to  the  watei",  and  waving  her 
arms  with  frantic  appeals,  was  seen  by  Ingebertsen,  who  flew  to  the  rescue. 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


215 


Jjiit  Wagner  escaped,  and  returned  to  IVrtsniouth.  lie  rowed  eifditeen 
miles  in  a  small  boat  between  midnight  and  mid-day,  murdered  two  wom- 
en, and  tried  to  slaughter  a  third,  and  earned  for  all  his  trouble  only 
nixteen  dollars  and  the  ro})e  by  which  he  was  hanged. 

About  the  year  1700,  Star  Island  became  the  seat  of  the  capital  of 
the  Isles  of  Shoals,  if  we  mav  so  designate  the  village  which  arose  there 
fifter  the  decay  of  the  handet  on  Ap[)ledore.  The  new  townlet  was  called 
Gosport,  and  lisliing  was  carried  on  by  the  (puirter  of  a  thousand  inhab- 
itants with  such  brisk  enterprise,  that  by  1750  ships  came  to  its  little 
harbor  from  the  ^lediterranean  ports,  to  load  salt  lish  for  Lenten  days 
in  foreign  lands.  Like  the  tirst  CJreeks  and  Ilomans,  the  founders  of  Gos- 
port were  patterns  of  virtuous  integrity,  and  the  local  code  was  severe,  and 
was  administered  without  regard  to  rank  or  sex.  Joanne  Ford  received 
nine  stripes,  delivered  with  impartial  vigor,  in  the  presence  of  the  numicii)al 
authorities  in  council  assembled,  because,  as  it  is  recorded,  she  had  called 
the  constable  "  horn-headed  rogue,  and  cow-headed  rogue."  It  is  quite 
possible  he  had  justly  earned  a  right  to  these  titles,  and  had  not  uidikely 
given  her  severe  provocation ;  but  the  law  and  its  otlicers  must,  of  course, 
be  above  insult.  The  success  and  wealth  which  attended  the  tisheries  of 
Gosport  seem,  however,  to  have  had  the  same  effect  on  tha  Je((?iesse  done 
of  this  populous  seaport  that  prosperity  usually  produces  in  all  large  cities. 


SMlnV     NOSE. 


Riotous  living  became  too  C(Mnmon  ;  the  Decalogue,  as  a  guide  for  practice, 
fell  into  disuse;  and, what  seemed  (juite  as  bud  at  that  time,  the  inhabitants 
were  proved  guilty  of  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  the  British  and  the  Tories 


Ir^''^ 

i!! 

'll      ■ 

1 

'1 

'^1 
All' 

11 1 


M 


in 


|l  V. 


!l* 


fi 


21G 


TlIK  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


at  the  oiitI)rcak  of  the  liovolution.     Tho\'  woi-e  ordered  to  leave  tlie  isl- 
ands, and  the  eeiisus  of  Gosport  fell  suddenly  from  28-lr  to  44  individuals. 
Tlie  iti'oprietors  of  the  larj^e  hotel  which  now  occupies  the  former  site 
of  Gosj)ort  boui^ht  out  the  few  remainini;  inhabitants,  and  their  cottages 


w^:.2^v?ms^^^^ 


OLD    Cllllirll,    STAIl     ISLAND. 


have  been  turned  into  tenement  houses,  whic  .ire  leased  to  visitors  when 
their  nnnd)cr  is  too  larii;e  to  find  aecommotlarion  in  the  hotel.  On  the 
barren,  broken,  rock-strewn  hill,  the  culniinatini>;  point  of  Star  Island, 
stands  the  old  clnu'ch  of  Gosport,  a  stone  structure  thirty-six  feet  by 
twenty-four  on  the  outside;  the  walls  ai-e  two  feet  thick.  A  vane  crowns 
f!;e  steeple,  whiiih  was  considered  elaborately  ornamental  and  costly  by 
ihose  who  put  it  there.  It  was  also  used  as  a  storehouse  for  salt  fish  on 
M-eek-davs ;  sometimes  it  was  left  there  durinj];  the  hours  of  service. 

Gosport  was  like  other  towns,  larije  and  small,  in  one  respect.  They 
all  liavo  their  graveyards,  (rosport  is  now  one  of  the  towns  that  have 
ceased  to  be,  and  the  ])lace  where  it  stood  knoweth  it  no  more.  F>ut  there, 
on  the  western  side  of  Star  Island,  facing  the  sotting  sun,  and  washed  by 
the  moaning  sea,  its  lonely  graves  remain  to  tell  of  those  who,  ages  ago, 
lived  and  toiled,  and  loved,  and  suffered,  and  sinned,  or  triumphed  over 
si.i,  on  Star  Island.  And  there  they  may  yet  repose  for  centuries  to  come, 
if  the  sacrilegious  visitor,  or  the  grasping  money-seeker,  does  not  invade 
that  little  cemetery,  which  seems  to  have  been  left  in  trust  to  the  genera- 
tions yet  to  be. 

Near  the  eastern  end  of  Star  Island  stands  a  monument  erected  to 


ISLKS   OF  SHOALS. 


21' 


Caj)tain  "John  Sinitli,  the  Discoverer  of  tliesc  Isles,"  as  tlio  inscription 
runs.  It  was  ])hiced  there  by  the  ishmdcrs,  and  cannot  be  justly  con- 
sidered either  classical  or  graceful  in  design.  Three  steps  are  surmounted 
by  a  pedestal  that  supports  a  triangular  marble  colunm,  which  is  in  turn 
crowned  by  three  Turks'  heads,  or,  rather,  three  heads  were  once  there; 
but  wind,  weather,  and  vandalism  have  made  sad  work  of  two  of  them. 
Captain  Smith  was  justly  proud  of  his  exploit  in  shearing  off  the  heads 
of  three  Turks  in  his  Hungary  campaign,  and  this  monument  is  a  tribute 
to  the  livelv  satisfaction  with  which  he  regarded  that  pleasant  incident 
in  his  varied  career. 

The  annals  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  include  two  other  names  of  local 
note,  the  Kev.  Mr.  Tucke  and  the  Rev,  ]\[r,  I'rock,  both  good  Puritans. 
Mather  has  somewhat  to  say  of  the  latter,  who  seems  to  have  l)een  a 
strong,  quaint,  sincere,  decided  character,  well  adapted  to  deal  with  the 
weather-worn  fishermen  and  broad-shouldered  tish-wives  of  his  insular 
parish,  Li  the  "Magnalia"  we  read  that  one  of  the  fishermen,  who  had 
often  ferried  the  people  across  the  cove  to  church,  lost  his  boat  in  a 


CAPTAIN    JOHN     smith's    MONUMENT,   STAR     ISLAND. 

storm.  When  ho  informed  Mr,  Brock  of  his  misfortune,  he  suggested 
that  an  overruling  Providence  did  not  seem  to  have  taken  his  pious  ser- 
vices into  sufHeient  consideration,  or  he  would  not  have  been  repaid  by  the 


218 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


li 


i'l 


loss  of  his  boat.     "Go  home  contented,  ^ot)d  sir,"  said  Mr.  Brock ;  'Til 
nientiuii  it  to  the  Lord.     You  may  expect  tu  lind  your  boat  to-uioJTOW." 


GUIlUt',   STAR    ISLAND. 


Tlie  next  day  the  boat  floated  to  the  surface,  brought  up  by  tlie  fluke  of  a 
sliip's  anclior.  The  angel  delegated  to  recover  the  boat  may  have  gone 
down  and  fixed  the  point  of  the  anchor-fluke  inside  of  the  gunwale,  just 


Willli:     ISLAM)    LIUUi'. 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


210 


as  they  catcli  the  inuttoii-fish  in  the  West  Indies,  wliicli  is  said  to  be  so 
slu>^t;ish  that  divers  descend  and  put  the  hook  into  its  mouth. 

Tlie  frequent  wrecks  on  the  Isles  of  Shoals  have  naturally  caused  more 
or  less  treasure  to  be  washed  up  on  the  rocks.  Even  as  early  as  the  time 
or  Captain  Smith  coins  had  beirun  to  be  found  occasionallv,  sometimes  in 
the  mouths  of  fish;  and  the  Indians  told  as  exaggerated  stories  about  it  as 
the  Indians  farther  south  related  to  Columbus  about  the  gold  in  the  West 


CLIFFd,    WHITE    ISLAND. 


Indies.     The  following  exquisite  passage  from  the  worthy  captain's  jour- 
nal will  match  what  he  said  about  the  spiders  of  Bermuda: 

"And  is  it  not  a  pretty  sport  to  pull  up  twopence,  sixpence,  and  twelve- 
pence  as  fast  as  one  can  bate  or  veare  a  line  ?  The  salvages  compare  the 
store  in  the  sea  to  the  hairs  upon  their  heads;  and  surely  there  is  an  in- 
credible abundance  of  them  upon  the  coast." 


220 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


liU  it 


The  sconeiy  of  Star  Island — if  one  may  ai)ply  that  term  to  an  islet 
scarce  half  a  mile  lonjjr — is  broken  and  rii<):ored,  and  risinsr  at  each  end. 


COVEHED    WALK    AND    LlUlIT-HOUaE,   WHITE    I8I.AND. 

The  most  remarkable  spot  in  its  warm  gray  cliifs  is  the  Gorge,  formed  by 
nntold  ages  of  breakers  thnnderlng  against  it  before  ever  man  appeared 
on  the  wild  New  England  shore.  The  magnificent  picture,  entitled  "  The 
Breaking  np  of  a  Storm  on  Star  Island,"  painted  by  Mr,  '  F.  II.  de  Ilaas, 
is  a  grand  representation  of  the  rocks  of  this  island  in  a  roaring  north- 
easter. 

Due  east  from  Star  Island,  half  a  mile  distant,  is  Londoner,  a  low, 
bare,  uninhabited  rock ;  the  ruins  of  one  small  dwelling  still  remain  upon 
it.  At  the  north-western  end  lies  a  most  cruel  reef,  over  which  the  surf 
rolls  with  terrific  grandeur. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  Londoner  is  White  Island.    The  north- 


ISLES  OF  SHOALS. 


221 


ern  part  of  it  is  called  Seavey's  Island,  because  a  high  tide  sometimes 
overflows  the  neck  which  joins  them.  White  Island  proper  is  a  grim, 
stubborn  rock,  sturdily  breasting  the  Atlantic  surges,  and  is  by  no  means 
the  least  interesting  of  the  group.  Its  rugged,  abrupt,  deeply  furrowed 
form,  and  the  perpendicular  face  it  shows  to  the  south,  give  to  it  a  sav- 
age wildness  and  grandeur  out  of  proportion  with  its  actual  dimensions. 
On  the  sununit  of  its  highest  point,  eighty  feet  above  the  water,  stands 
the  light -house  which  has  been  rendered  famous  by  the  graphic  muse 
of  Mrs.  Thaxter,  whose  girlhood  was  spent  on  White  Island.  It  is  a  solid 
stone  structure,  picturesquely  harmonizing  with  the  scene  of  which  it  is 
the  central  object.  The  lump  is  a  Fi-esnel  light  of  the  first  class,  and 
cost  thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  violence  of  the  sea  when  it  bursts  on 
White  Island  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  the  heavy  covered  walk, 
over  a  hundred  feet  long,  was  once  washed  completely  away,  and,  rushing 
down  the  gorge,  was  crushed  and  swept  out  to  sea. 

The  Isles  of  Shoals  entirely  merit  the  reputation  they  have  acquired. 
In  a  space  under  six  hundred  acres  they  offer  manifold  attractions  to  the 
invalid,  the  artist,  or  the  pleasure-seeker.  A  residence  there  possesses  the 
tonic  qualities  of  a  sea-voyage ;  and  as  for  hay  fever,  the  unhappy  victim 
who  has  vainly  sought  freedom  from  an  affliction  which  has  destroyed  so 
many  a  fair  sumuier's  sport  may  calmly  sit  on  the  piazza  at  Appledore  or 
Star  Island,  and,  while  he  smokes  his  cigar  with  serene  exultation,  can 
laugh  to  scorn  the  relentless  demon  who  watches  on  the  opposite  coast, 
unable  to  cross  the  sea,  but  waiting  to  seize  him  again  when  he  once  more 
leaves  the  Isles  of  Shoals. 


LONUONEII,    FItUH    STAK    ISLAND. 


222 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


S' 


ill ;, 


;ir 


if  II   :■!( 


'Hi 

n 
M 


It 

If 

CHAPTER  XII. 


CAPE   BKETON    ISLAND. 


IT  was  late  in  October  that  I  aiTi\ed  on  the  coast  of  Cape  Breton,  in  the 
good  bark  Ethan  Allen,  from  Madeira.  Tiie  exceptionally  favorable 
winds  we  had  enjoyed  now  left  ns,  and  it  was  oidy  after  battling  with 
heavy  squalls,  and  gales,  and  adverse  currents  for  several  days,  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  that  we  succeeded  in  making  the  port 
for  which  we  were  bound,  and  we  were  quite  able  after  that  to  realize 
why  insurance  premiums  are  doubled  after  October  sets  in  on  all  vessels 
sailing  for  that  inhospitable  coast.  It  took  all  day  to  beat  up  the  long, 
narrrow  entrance  to  Sydney  harbor,  and  we  passed  a  steamer  which  had 
gone  on  the  bar  in  a  storm  which  had  forced  us  to  stand  out  to  sea  two 
days  before.  The  prospect  was  rendered  somewhat  dismal  by  a  crowd 
of  damaged  vessels  which  had  been  wholly  or  partially  wrecked  in  the 
appalling  hurricane  of  the  previous  August.  Of  Sydney  little  can  be  said 
that  is  inviting.  The  lay  of  the  land  is  very  much  that  of  our  own  New 
England,  but  vegetation  is  more  sparse,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the 
landscape  more  sad  and  sere.  The  ba}'  i  spacious  and  well  jirotected,  af- 
fording several  excellent  harbors  for  ordinary  weather;  but  the  town  pre- 
sents a  singular  blending  of  squalor  and  thrift,  the  former  being  the  iirst 
feature  to  impress  the  stranger  on  landing.  Shanties  and  groggeries,  dis- 
reputable to  a  degree,  abound,  and  lead  one  to  think  he  has  fallen  on  some 
maritime  Laramie  or  Cheyenne;  while  to  the  M'estward  new  houses,  glory- 
ing in  the  tawdriness  of  white  paint,  green  shutters,  and  flimsy  verandas, 
indicate  that  the  place  is  not  altogether  going  to  the  dogs.  Coal  is  the 
chief  stock  in  trade,  and  the  supply  is  apparently  inexhaustible;  the  M'hole 
island  is,  in  fact,  intersected  1  y  seams  of  the  black  mineral.  The  veins 
run  under  the  harbor  at  Sydney,  and  are  worked  to  a  considerable  depth. 
The  population  is,  consequently,  mining,  combined  with  a  large  floating 
class  of  fishermen  and  seamen,  ever  ready  to  "splice  the  main-brace"  and 
chuck  the  rosy  girls  of  Cape  Breton  under  the  chin.  It  must  be  added 
that  they  do  not  always  stop  there,  and  street  brawls,  as  may  be  easily  im- 


CAPE   HHETON   ISLAND. 


223 


agineil,  arc  not  uneomiiKtii.     It  is  diflicult  to  fancy  any  one  lying  awake 
o'  nights  sighing  fur  Sydney. 

This  i)oi"t  has  of  bite  yeai's  hcconio  a  great  resort  for  onr  niackei'cl  flsh- 
orinon.  It  is  not  far  froni  Cape  North,  one  of  the  fishing-grounds,  and 
the  iish  are  also  found  toward  the  close  of  the  season  off  the  harbor.  Sev- 
enty of  our  schooners  made  Svdnev  a  rendezvous  during  the  previous 


FISIIEKMEN    CICL'ISINC. 


summer,  and  it  is  indeed  a  stirring  and  beautiful  spectacle  to  sec  the 
graceful  little  craft  dodging  up  and  down  the  long  entrance  to  the  harbor, 
or  darting  hither  and  thither  in  white  groups,  like  sea-fowl,  in  search  of 
schools  of  mackerel.  So  fascinated  was  I  by  the  sight  of  tiiese  schooners, 
that,  on  finding  my  bark  was  not  going  to  return  to  Boston,  I  at  once  de- 
cided to  get  passage  in  one  of  the  schooners,  if  possible,  in  preference  to 


i 


004. 


Till",  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


l\ 


i 


tljo  stciuncr.  Fortune  seemed  to  favor  me.  The  skijiper  of  tlie  Anna 
Jfuria  came  aboard  to  bring  us  some  fresh  mackerel,  ami  told  us  he  was 
to  start  the  following  morning  for  home,  going,  for  the  first  tinn.',  l)y  way 
of  the  IJras  d'(^r,  which  1  had  long  wished  to  see.  lie  kindly  offered  me 
a  bunk,  and  a  share  of  grub  for  myself  and  dog.  1  jumped  at  the  i)ro- 
])osal,  and  early  the  next  day  took  my  traps  aboard;  we  peaked  the  main- 
sail, trip[)ed  the  anchor,  and  stood  out  to  sea.  The  Anna  Maria  was 
twenty-four  years  old,  forty-one  tons  burden,  and  had  a  snuill  forecastle 
and  a  diminutive  trunk-cabin  aft;  live  men  slept  forward, and  there  were 
si.x  of  us,  or  seven,  including  a  dog,  in  the  cuddy.  The  deck  was  lumbered 
up  with  a  quantity  of  tish-barrels  and  tubs,  and  the  wlujle  vessel  was  in  an 
unmentionable  state  of  dirtiness,  resulting  from  twelve  weeks  of  tinhing. 

There  are  two  entrances  to  the  remarkable  sea-lake  called  the  Bras 
d'Or,  which  separates  Cape  Breton  Island  into  two  nearly  e(pial  portions. 
Within  a  short  time  a  canal,  scarcely  half  a  mile  long,  has  been  cut 
through  the  isthnnis,  permitting  the  passage  of  vessels  of  small  burden. 
It  is  about  sixty  miles  from  the  canal  to  the  two  eastern  straits  or  en- 
trances. The  southern  entrance  is  impassable  except  for  steamers  and 
boats.  Wo  struck  for  the  northern  passage,  called  the  Great  Bras  d'Oi', 
having  a  leading  wind,  without  which  it  is  impossible  for  a  sailing  vessel 
to  pass  in.  The  navigable  channel  is  very  narrow,  the  tide  runs  through 
it  like  a  mill-race,  and,  for  the  lirst  few  miles,  any  vessel  getting  ashore 
there  is  exposed  to  the  fidl  sweep  of  easterly  gales. 

There  were  seven  schooners  in  company  with  ns,  all  keeping  so  closely 
together  that  the  bowsprit  of  one  would  almost  oxcrhang  the  taffrail  of 
the  next  one;  sometimes  one  would  becalm  another,  and  thus  shoot  by. 
Finally,  one  of  the  schooners  got  slued  aside  on  a  bank,  and  had  to  be 
left  behind,  to  get  off  as  she  could.  Happily  for  the  rest,  a  pilot  appeared 
at  this  juncture  in  a  dory,  and  agreed  to  pilot  the  little  fleet.  He  carried 
ns  as  far  as  Kelly's  Cove,  when,  fog  and  twilight  both  coming  on,  we  all 
dropped  anchor,  and  the  pilot  proceeded  to  levy  toll  before  leaving  ns  for 
the  night.  He  was  a  curious  specimen  of  the  genus  Bretoniensis.  Keep- 
ing his  eyes  always  down,  while  he  hung  on  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  he 
rattled  away  with  great  volubility,  which  was  evidently  iiutrca^ed  by  the 
bad  whiskey  he  had  taken  before  coining  off  to  us.  "  I  don't  care  for  any 
hluidy  silver.  A  little  bluidy  pork  or  beef,  a  little  bhiidy  salt  or  bluidy 
jig.;,  you  don't  want  any  more,  my  hearties,  or  any  other  bluidy  thing  will 
do  me  jist  exactly  as  N\ell.  I  should  be  only  too  glad  to  take  such  a  pretty 
schooner  through  them  narrows  for  nothink,  but  don't  ye  sees,  we  can't  do 


nothink  for 


nem 
nothink 


Cape  Breton  no  i?'«ore  than  nowlieres  else?     And 


cArr,  lunvroN  island.  2l\'> 

tliat's  ilio  tnifli.  That'll  do.  that'll  do.  1  don't  want  yo  to  n.h  yourselves. 
Fish-hait^  no, -^ot  cnoiiiih  cd"  tlic  hliiidy  tliini;.  There's  no  need  of  mv 
coining  off  t.t  ye  the  njoniin':  all  yo'vo  got  to  do  is  jist  to  keep  that  p'int 
close  aboard,  and  ye'll  he  all  rii-ht ;  and  renninher  them  two  spar-biioys  on 
the  staHioard  heani.and  one  on  ihe  ]H)rt,  and  there  ain't  no  other  Muidv 
thing   in   the;  channel   that  the  likes  o'  vc  need  to  he  ai'eard  of;  iind  I'm 


.~~^*i. 


TALL     KIsllINi;. 


very  much  ohlceijed  to  ve,  2:intlenicii,  and  I  wisli  ve  a  iileasaiit  v'va<rc:'' 
and  off  he  went  to  repeat  the  fante  at  the  next  schooner. 

"We  found  ourselves  anchored  for  the  night  in  Kelly's  Cove,  under 
Kelly's  Mountain,  the  highest  land  on  the  Bras  d'f)r.  It  is  an  isolated 
ridge,  M'hich  I  estimated  to  be  about  twelve  hmidred  feet  high,  but  so  bold 
as  to  resemble  a  wall,  and  give  an  impression  of  greater  height.  Evidences 
of  the  tremetidous  hurricane  of  the  previous  September  were  everywhere 

15 


220 


TIIK  ATLANTir;   ISLANDS. 


's* 

i'.: 


II 


'^^:  'J 


II 


visible.  The  wind  liiid  ft'llt'(l  tlio  lar<j;cst  forest  trees  in  nmlxs  mile  Jiftor 
mile,  or,  where  the  s(|nalls  liiid  been  most  violent,  imd  eut  swaths  throii<;h 
the  woods  as  the  scvthc  of  the  mower  hivs  the  i^rass.  This  was  the  case 
all  throiii^h  the  JJras  d'Or.  Maiiv  houses  and  harns  were  felled  or  injured; 
at  Ari(!hat  sixty  houses  wei'e  blown  down.  Vessels  were  everywhere  de- 
stroyed ;  all  throu<^h  the  tri|)  we  cnuw  across  wrecks  on  shore. 

The  boat  \vas  lowered,  and  skii)per  and  1  went  ashore  on  a  fora^iiis; 
expedition  amon«jf  the  farmdiouses.  We  found  the  jieojile  irenerally  ^  ere 
"  iJeclanders,"  as  thev  called  themselves,  anuiiiij;  whom  (laelic  is  still  the 
vernacular,  some  actually  being  unable  to  converse  in  Knglish.  They 
wore  mostly  Iloman  Catholics.  We  finally  brought  up  at  a  small  house, 
where  we  spent  a  couple  of  hours  chatting  before  an  old-fashioned  ingle- 
side,  over  whose  bright  blaze  the  kettle  was  singing.  A  dance  at  a  fai  in- 
house  farther  on  was  proposed,  and  skipju'r  otTerod  to  bring  off  the 
schooner's  tiddler  to  stimulate  the  heels  and  (juicken  the  hearts  oi  the  lads 
and  lassies;  but,  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  the  ]>hin  unfortunately 
fell  through.  A  brace  of  geese  and  a  pall  of  milk  wei-e  the  results  of  oin- 
expedition.  It  was  so  dark  that  the  buxom  hostess  snatched  a  brand  from 
the  hearth,  an]  gave  it  to  us  by  way  of  lantern,  and  w'e  thus  I'eached  the 
boat  w'ithout  spilling  the  milk. 

AVe  were  again  nndcr  way  the  next  morning,  but  the  wind  was  so 
light  we  made  but  little  progress.  The  good  M'eather  was  improved  to 
clear  the  deck  and  clean  the  vessel.  We  passed  some  plaster-cliffs,  which 
furnish  material  for  many  of  the  best  ceilings  in  onr  cities,  and  add  a 
striking  feature  to  the  scenery.  We  also  had  a  tine  view  up  the  Little 
Hras  d'Or,  and  left  the  shire  town  of  I'addectk  on  om*  right,  at  the  l)ottom 
of  a  deep  bay.  At  night  we  again  anchoi-ed,  at  (ii-and  Narrows,  and  skij)- 
])er  and  I  repeated  our  foraging  expedition.  We  were  lucky  enough  to 
come  across  some  very  nice  people,  bearing  the  famous  names  of  M'Xiel 
and  M'Donald.  The  next  morning,  just  after  we  hove  up  anchor,  a  boat 
overtook  us,  bringing  a  su|)ply  of  milk  and  eggs  from  our  friends  of 
the  previous  evening,  which  very  materially  added  to  the  slender  stock  of 
pork,  beans,  and  molasses,  that  constituted  the  eomnn"ssariat  of  the  Arum 
Maria.  V>w\.  generally  the  peo[)le  are  a  pretty  rough  set,  with  a  decided 
talent  for  brawling  and  drinking.  When  we  were  going  aboard  at  night, 
we  came  across  three  sturdy  fellows,  well  braced  with  gin,  and  altogether 
too  willing  to  tire  oft'  the  guns  they  carried  to  make  them  pleasant  com- 
panions, especially  as  they  seemed  inclined  to  pick  a  quari'cl.  But  evad- 
ing them  in  the  dark,  we  were  the  first  to  reach  the  boat,  beached  under 
cover  of  some  rushes,  and  shoved  oft"  for  the  schooner. 


cAi'K  imivrox  island. 


227 


After  li'aviiinf  Gmml  Narrows,  the  passa:u'i;  widened  into  a  broad  lake 
some  twenty  miles  across  at  the  widest,  (U'cply  indented  witli  bavs,  and 
studded  with  lari^e  islands.  Fish  and  1,'anie  ah(»nnd  there.  While  we 
were  becalmed,  siijns  of  mackerel  appeared,  and  all  hands  i;ot  ont  their 
lines,  and  ea(!h  man  took  his  allotted  place  by  the  side  of  the  vessel;  bnt, 
after  a  few  minutes  of  spirited  sport,  the  fish  left  ns,  and  a  breeze  sprnn«^ 


111 


IIIUINU    OIT    A    NdltTII-KASTKIl. 


up  and  fanned  ns  alomj^  throu<>;h  the  afternoon.  To  the  sportsman,  few 
places  offer  tjjroater  attractions  than  the  ]>ias  d'Or,  in  summer  and  early 
autumn.  At  suiulown  the  fleet  was  l)eealmcd  in  the  middle  of  the  lake, 
M'hich  was  i^lowini;  and  maiynificent  beyond  description,  under  the  splen- 
dor of  a  sunset  of  extraordinary  beauty  and  variety  of  tint  and  hue.  As  I 
gazed,  entraiured,  on  that  spectacle,  I  did  not  wonder  that  they  called  that 
sea  strait,  so  rarely  combining  lake  and  i-iver,  the  Bras  d'Or.     Golden  w.as 


ii  I 


i 


228 


TIIK   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


the  autuiimiil  i^'lory  of  its  sIiurs,  ij;-ulden  Avere  its  M-aters,  and  i>;()lden  tlic 
traii(|uil  sky  wliich  overliuDi;'  and  imparted  to  it  half  its  wealth  of  beauty. 
'J'he  shootiny-stars  and  tlie  niu'ht-breeze  eanie  toi^ether,  and  we  watch- 


— r^?^'-»Uifc^;f^S  . 


nil.    Mir.MAC    INDIANS. 


ed  the  one  and  u'lided  gently  along-  before  the  other,  until  at  nn'dnight  we 
again  neared  dangerous  navigation,  and  came  to  an  anchor.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  we  passed  a  noted  Indian  settlement,  where  there  is  a  large 
church  M-ith  some  wigwams.  The  Indians  of  this  region  assemble  in 
spring  and  sunnnor  on  their  island,  and  attempt  to  keep  up  the  dances 
and  other  ceremonies  peculiar  to  their  ancestors. 

The  scenery  now  became  exceedingly  romantic  and  beautiful,  often 
resemblinu'  tlie  Thousand  Islands,  and  the  rcii"ion  is  so  little  inhabited  as 
scarcely  to  seem  a  country  that  has  been  settled  for  two  hundi'ed  years. 
Islands  of  all  sizes,  sometimes  mere  knolls  tufted  with  birches  and  pines, 
divide  the  lake  into  numerous  windinii'  channels  for  a  ]ou<x  distance.  The 
ship-channel  is  often  so  narrow  and  tortuous  that  it  was  with  great  difH- 
culty  that  even  our  sliort  schooners,  capable  of  turning  within  their  own 
lenijthe,  could  be  worked  without  coinir  ashore.  One  of  them  hero  ran 
her  nose  into  a  mud-bank,  on  which  we  also  touched,  and  so  firmly  that 
she  lay  there  several  days. 

Just  before  evening  the  Ajukz  Maria,  heading  the  fleet,  reached  the 
canal  at  St.  Peter's.  In  an  hour  she  was  again  on  the  Atlantic:  but  so 
difHcult  is  the  way  out  into  the  harbor,  that  we  grounded  on  a  rock  in  a 
dangerous  situation. 

AV'hile  we  were  o-ettini!;  her  off,  a  ])artv  of  Indians  landed  close  under 
our  lee,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  they  had  put  u]>  several  bark  wigwams, 
and  the  dusky  shades  of  evening  were  rendered  picturoscjue  by  the  smoky 
gleams  of  their  flres.     The  little  cove  where  we  were  lying,  the  forests  on 


CAl'K    nUI/l'ON    ISLAND. 


229 


often 

ted  as 

veavs. 

)ines, 

The 

diffi- 


?(i 


one  side  and  the  wigwams  and  strange  forms  moving  before  the  liglit  and 
reflected  in  the  water;  tlie  hist  lingei'ing  rays  of  snnset  on  the  other  side, 
vividly  outlining  the  rakish  spai's  of  the  pinks  rocking  in  the  port;  the 
splash  and  swing  of  warps  in  tlie  water;  the  (piiek  moveniiMit  of  boats 
here  and  there,  with  plios[)horescent  droi)S  twiid<ling  on  the  oars;  the 
shadow  of  the  spars,  and  tlie  tread. of  feet  (»n  the  deck,  as  schooner  after 
schooner  warped  past  ns  in  the  starry  gloom — i»re>ented  a  singular  ami 
effective  scene. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  worked  out  of  St.  Peter's  by  Madame  Isl- 


ONK    (IF    Till-;     FISIIKIIMAN  <     I'KKlt.S. 


and.  The  thrcate.iing  cliaracter  of  the  weather  inclined  ns  to  go  into 
Arichat,  but  a  land-breeze  spnmg  np  after  sunset.  All  night  we  Hew  be- 
fore it  under  press  of  sail,  and  by  ne.xt  morning  had  run  one  hundred  and 


230 


THE   ATLANTIC  ISLANDS, 


M 


forty  miles,  and  were  abreast  of  Halifax.  On  the  fi)llo\viiig  duy  our  good 
weather  catiio  to  an  end.  A  gale  was  coming  on,  and,  after  jjounding 
against  a  heavy  sea  several  hours  and  starting  a  leak,  we  were  just  able  to 
work  into  iShelburne,  where  we  lay  three  days.  Shelburne  possesses  the 
■finest  harbor  in  Nova  Scotia,  What  is  also  in  its  favor  is,  that  it  is  easy  of 
access,  and  is  often  made  a  harbor  of  refuge.  The  settlement  is,  however, 
but  a  wretched  makeshift  for  a  town,  like  many  places  in  the  Eastern  prov- 
inces, but  has  considerable  ship-building,  which  gives  it  some  appearance 
of  thrift.  It  also  abounds  with  herring,  which  are  eaten  in  such  cpumtities 
by  the  l^luenoses,  that  it  is  said  of  them  they  cannot  pull  off  their  shirts  in 
spring  beciause  of  the  tish-bones  sticking  through  their  skin  !  The  weather 
was  still  dubious  when  we  put  to  sea  in  company  with  fifteen  sail,  all 
bound  to  the  westward,  but  we  hoped  the  easterly  wind  would  hold  to 
take  us  across  the  Bay  of  Fnndy,  the  worst  bit  of  navigation,  owing  to  its 
fogs,  rips,  reefs,  tides,  and  currents,  to  be  found  anywhere  on  the  coast  of 
jS'orth  America.  But,  in  fact,  nowhere  does  a  close  inspection  of  the 
ledges  along  the  Nova  Scotia  shore  insi)ire  one  with  agreeable  sensations, 
nor  are  such  names  as  Ironbound  or  Ragged  Harbor  i)leasingly  suggestive. 
I  never  can  pass  that  forbidding  coast  without  thinking  of  some  grim 
monster  showing  his  teeth,  ready  to  crunch  the  bones  of  hapless  victims. 
The  vii^or  with  which  the  new  Dominion  has  assumed  the  reins  of  ijovern- 
ment  is  nowhere  more  evident  than  in  the  increased  attention  bestowed 
on  light-houses,  which  have  hitherto  been  infamously  scarce,  considering 
the  character  of  the  coast,  and  have  been  badly  kept  and  lighted. 

During  the  day  wa  passed  a  large  slii[),  high  and  dry  on  a  reef,  going 
to  pieces.  The  wind  freshened  at  night,  and  we  stood  across  the  Bay  of 
Fundy  in  fine  style.  The  next  morning  it  was  thick  and  nasty,  blowing  a 
gale  of  wind,  with  a  heavy  following  sea.  Wing  aiul  wing  we  "  kihooted" 
before  it  under  a  press  of  sail  such  as  only  our  fishermen  indulge  in.  The 
least  carelessness  of  the  steersman  might  have  sent  us  to  the  bottom.  "A 
man  must  have  his  life  insured  who  sails  on  the  Anna  Maria  to-day," 
said  one  to  me.  At  noon  a  violent  squall  obliged  us  to  take  in  sail,  W^ith 
some  difficulty,  wg  took  in  the  mainsail,  and,  jibing  the  foresail,  brought 
the  lively  little  craft  around  just  in  time  to  get  control  of  her,  laying  her 
half  under  water  as  she  came  up  to  the  wind.  We  ran  till  night  under 
close-reefed  foresail,  and  then  hove  to  near  Cashe's  Ledy:e  till  mornini;. 
Then  the  wind  shifted  into  south-west,  and  finally  came  howling  out  of 
the  north-west,  and,  as  the  skipper  forcildy  exi)rcssed  it,  "  it  everlastingly 
screeched."  We  had  but  one  suit  of  sails ;  they  were  old  and  worn,  and 
the  foresail  split  and  gave  us  some  trouble;  our  stock  of  provisions  was 


CAPE  BRETON  ISLAND. 


231 


running  low,  and  there  was  some  reason  to  fear  we  should  be  blown  to  the 
eastward  again.  Generally,  our  tishernien  fare  very  well,  frequently  lay- 
ing in  fresh  provisions  at  the  ports  they  visit.  One  of  the  erew  is  usually 
chosen  as  cook,  and  receives,  like  the  captain,  a  double  share  of  the  catch. 
But  the  staple  article  of  diet  is  pork  and  beans — a  very  savory  dish  if 
properly  cooked.  This  gave  rise  to  the  story  of  a  iishiug-schooner,  which 
was  sighted  flying  a  flag  of  distress  by  a  ship  standing  out  to  sea.  They 
ran  down,  and  hailed  her.  The  skipi)er  replied  that  the  schooner  was 
still  one  day's  sail  from  port,  and  had  only  one  barrel  of  beans  on  board. 

During  all  these  days  the  spinning  of  yarns  went  on  without  intermis- 
sion fore  and  aft,  and  I  gained  new  ideas  of  the  constant  and  almost  in- 
credible perils  to  Avliich  oiu'  flshermen  are  exposed,  esi)ecially  on  the 
Georges  and  oft  the  Magdalen  Islands.  Many  a  hair-breadth  escape  from 
being  run  down  in  the  fog,  or  from  foundei'ing,  was  narrated.  One  of  our 
crew  had  been  on  board  a  schooner  which  turned  completely  bottom  up, 
and  ri<>;hted  on  the  other  side,  when  rid  inn-  out  a  iiale  on  the  Georires 
Shoals,  lie  was  on  the  lookout,  and,  seeing  an  innuense  wave  coming, 
pulled  the  slide  over  the  companion-way  and  rushed  below.  Almost  im- 
possible as  it  seems,  it  is  recorded  as  a  true  story  in  the  Ashing  annals  of 
Cape  Ann.  Euchre  and  checkers,  which  -were  played  on  a  board  carved 
on  the  top  of  a  locker,  and  the  whitthng  of  knick-knacks,  ■went  on  along 
with  the  spinning  of  yarns.  It  was  interesting  to  see  how,  through  it  all. 
these  hardy  fellows  managed  to  retain  characteristics  purely  hunuui ;  foi- 
example,  the  habit  of  croaking,  and  of  flnding  fault  with  those  on  Mhom 
the  responsibility  devolved.  Did  the  skii)per  carry  sail  hard,  they  said  he 
did  not  know  when  to  take  it  in ;  did  he  prudently  seek  to  spare  tlie  oidy 
suit  of  canvas  we  had,  or  avoid  rinining  on  the  land  in  the  fog,  they  said, 
"The  worst  fault  a  nuister  of  a  ship  can  have  is  to  take  sail  in  too  soon.'" 
Like  unwhi])]ied  school-boys,  they  thought  they  knew  everything,  and,  like 
sailors  in  general,  exercised  little  foresight  or  prevision  for  contingencies. 
Of  course,  on  a  vessel  where  all  sailed  on  shares,  any  regular  discipline 
was  out  of  the  question,  the  authority  of  the  skipi)er  being  nearly  nominal, 
the  man  makini>:  it  rather  than  receiving  it  from  the  offlce. 

Our  skipper  was  a  man  of  the  most  imperturbable  good-humor,  but  a 
good  seaman,  shrewdly  adapting  himself  to  the  unruly  spirits  he  had  to 
deal  with,  and  genei'ally  exercising  control  without  appearing  to  do  so. 
"Come  on,  bullies,  let's  take  a  turn  on  the  main  sheet,"  was  the  nsual  form 
of  an  order ;  or,  "  Keep  her  off  a  little  mite,  Uncle  Mike !" 

The  watch  usually  consisted  of  two  men,  one  at  the  wheel,  and  the 
other  acting  as  lookout,  and  oscillating  between  the  stove  in  the  cabin  and 


232 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


.  U: 


the  bows,  witli  a  stroiis;  c;ravit!iti<)n  toward  the  fonncr.  TIio  clock  for- 
ward M'as  half  an  hour  aliead  of  the  one  aft;  I  don't  know  whether  the 
fact  was  <i;enenilly  known,  but  1  think  it  was  known  to  some:  I  observed 
that  some  of  the  watches  were  shorter  than  others, 

One  night,  two  of  the  leading  faultiinders  were  directed  to  tack  ship 

in  their  watch,  there  being  a  heavy 
sea  rinniing  at  the  time.  Tiiree  times 
these  self-sufficient  fellows  tried  to 
bring  the  schooner  about;  three  times 
they  failed,  mouthing  enormous  impre- 
cations, and  with  such  frequent  men- 
tion of  hell  that  1  fancied  I  could 
smell  brimstone.  The  skipper,  mean- 
time, (piietly  lay  in  his  bmdc,  and  en- 
joyed the  discomfiture  of  his  defamers. 
At  last  he  put  his  head  up  the  com- 
panion-way and  said,  "Your  jib  is 
eased  off  too  much;  haul  down  the 
jib,  and  she'll  come  around  all  right!" 
They  obeyed,  and  the  schooner  was  off 
on  the  other  tack  at  once,  lie  said 
nothing  more,  but  an  hour  after  went 
on  deck  himself,  and  tacked  ship  with 
the  case  of  a  man  who  knows  what  he  is  about.  The  men  could  say  not  a 
word. 

Another  curious  trait  among  sailors,  especMally  noticeable  among  those 
so  little  under  discipline  as  our  lishermen.  is  the  way  they  act  in  emer- 
gencies. The  vessel,  perhaps,  is  threatened  by  a  heavy  squall,  and  sail 
must  be  taken  off  at  once,  or  the  gravest  consequence^  may  ensue  in  a 
moment.  One  would  suppose,  therefore,  that  M-hen  the  lives  of  all  on 
board,  including  the  crew  themselves,  are  imperilled,  and  the  quick  ord' 
of  the  captain  sunnnon  all  hands  on  deck  without  delay,  tliey  would  need 
no  further  urging.  Not  a  bit  of  it.  The  first  thing  they  do  is  to  grum- 
ble. "D —  the  weather!  what  the  devil  does  he  want  to  hurry  a  fel- 
low out  of  his  buidc  for?"  Then  they  will  not  stir  till  they  have  arranged 
their  oil-suit,  as  if  it  were  a  dress  suit  for  a  ball ;  after  that,  some  of  them 
nuist  fill  and  light  their  pipes !  If  the  captain  puts  his  head  down  and 
repe.ats  the  order,  "  Come  out  of  there,  and  don't  be  all  dry  about  it !" 
they  mutter, "D — d  if  I  will  before  I'm  ready!"  This  does  not  result 
from  superior  courage  or  recklessness  so  much  as  from  a  species  of  pig- 


TAKINU    A     iilUHT. 


CAPE   BRETON    ISLAND. 


233 


l.eadcd.iess  or  habit;  for  tlie  same  men  will  ho  as  nineh  appalled  as  other 
Mieii  by  danger  wheii  they  fairly  realize  it,  or  if  it  be  in  a  form  to  which 
they  are  unaccustomed. 

We  manao-ed,  in  the  teeth  of  a  violent  wind,  to  beat  up  as  far  as  Cape 
Khzabeth,  where  we  found  the  water  a  little  smoother.  Ih.t  we  should 
have  kept  on  and  made  a  harbor  in  the  Sheepscot  Iliver,  if  the  wind  had 
not  moderated  after  sunset,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  work  down  to  the  Isles 
of  Shoals,  which  we  passed  at  daybreak.  As  we  neared  the  destined  port, 
razors  and  blacking -brushes  were  brought  out  of  hidden  corners  and  a 
general  biirnishhig  followed.  Those  who  had  "boiled  shirts"  actually 
went  through  a  transformation,  when  they  put  them  on  in  exchano-e  fur 
their  heavy  blue  or  red  woollen  shirts.  It  took  us  the  rest  of  the  day  to 
boat  into  Gloucester  under  a  press  of  canvas,  with  a  foot  of  water  in  our 
lee  scuppers,  and  carrying  away  the  maintopmast-stavsail  as  we  came 
abreast  of  Nornum's  Woe. 

The  good  old  Anna  Maria  laid  her  bones  on  Newburvport  bar  two 
years  after,  in  1877,  and  poor  Captain  Jewett  has  met  the  fisherman's  fate 
on  the  Grand  Banks. 


fi'f 


23'i 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


i  ^   I, 


1 1'" 

J'. 


4l 


IT 


+1 


n 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    ISLE    OF  WIGHT. 

AN  evening  in  an  enchanted  region,  gliding  over  an  enchanted  sea 
toward  an  enchanted  isle,  was  the  fair  night  when  lirst  I  approached 
the  far-famed  isle  of  beanty  which  lies  on  the  South  of  Enghuul's  shore. 
The  stately  line  of  battle-ships  of  other  days,  their  long  tiers  of  port-holes 
lit  up  and  reflected  in  the  still  waters  of  Portsmouth,  lent  magic  to  the 
scene.     Out  of  the  starry  gloom  beyond,  ghost- like  yachts,  one  by  one, 

silently  stole  by,  fanned  by  the  low 
sea -wind.  The  strains  of  martial 
music  floated  out  to  sea,  now  rising, 
now  falling,  in  harmonious  cadences, 
;>s^-.i;?:^ /r-J n  and,  as  we  glided  across  S[)ithead 
7  -<C!  strait, a  calcium-ligiit  suddenly  burst 
at  intervals  across  the  night,  like  a 
noiseless  explosion  of  a  powder-mag- 
azine, revealing  the  secrets  of  the 
darkness,  and  as  suddenly  conceal- 
ing them  again.  The  lights  of  the 
island  we  were  ajiproaching  con- 
stantly grew  more  and  more  dis- 
tinct, wavering  on  the  glassy  floor 
of  the  still  water,  and  the  dark  out- 
lines of  woods  and  hills  became  less 
spectral  and  mysterious,  until,  almost  before  we  were  aware,  we  were 
making  fast  to  a  pier,  and  stei)ping  ashore  on  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

I>y  the  Romans  the  island  M'as  called  "  Yectis,"  by  the  Saxons 
"  Wihtea,"  by  the  Celts  "  Gwyth,"  which  means  chamiel  ;  and  thus  re- 
duced to  its  original  sense,  the  name  litei'ally  means  the  Chamiel  Island. 
Bv  seamen  it  is  called  "  the  AViiiht."  "Well,  after  much  wanderini]^  amonsi; 
other  isles  of  the  sea,  I  had  at  last  arrived  at  "  the  AVight,"  and  fortunate- 
ly, as  I  found  when  daylight  came,  had  been  flrst  introduced  to  it  at  Ryde, 


THE   ISLE   OF  WIGHT. 


235 


wliich  is  a  fitting  vestibule  llirougli  wliic.h  to  enter  the  island.  In  former 
years,  before  the  building  of  the  [tier,  Kyde  was  aeccssible  from  tlie  sea 
scarce  twelve  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four,  owing  to  the  long  stretch  of 


muddy  flats  which  lie  more  or  less  exposed  at  low  water.  Passengers 
often  had  to  be  landed,  like  poor  Fielding,  the  inimitable  author  of  "Tom 
Jones,"  on  the  backs  of  sailors.  Later,  a  cart  was  substituted  ;  and,  finally, 
a  pier  was  built.  This,  proving  too  short,  was  eventuall}'  carried  out  into 
deep  water  to  a  distance  of  half  a  mile.  There  it  terminates  in  a  covered 
platform,  from  which  an  extensive  and  satisfying  prospect  is  obtained  of 
the  northern  (!oast  of  the  ivsland,  from  Seaview  Point  to  Cowes,  of  which 
the  central  object  is  Hyde  itself,  reposing  on  a  gentle  sloj)e  end)owered 
in  civilized  masses  of  patrician  verdure.  To  the  northward  and  eastward 
lie  the  shores  of  the  main-land,  and  the  ships  and  roofs  of  Portsmouth. 
Around  this  pier-end  the  prettiest,  sauciest,  most  bewitching  of  yachts 
collect  during  the  season,  so  in  love  with  their  own  beauty  that  of  a  calm, 
pleasant  morning  they,  swan-like,  gaze  at  themselves  reflected  in  the  bur- 
nished mirror  of  the  bay.  There,  too,  full-cheeked  musicians  blow  magi- 
cal strains  henea!'  Jie  silent  moon,  and  the  faii'cst  dames  and  damosels, 
and  the  most  high-mettled  aristocrats  of  Rotten  Row,  in  the  jauntiest  of 


230 


THE   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


iM;Vl 


Mi. 
u  ■ 


suinmcr  or  yiiclitins;  ri2;s,  collect  in  oiiraptni-cd  pairs  to  repeat  the  old  stcrv 
which  Jessica  and  Lorenzo  rehearsed  in  Venice  ages  ago.  Amitlst  this 
romantic  thi'oni:;  niav  be  detected  sometimes  the  thoronifliiv  prosaic  form 
of  your  genuine  ct»cknoy,  and  the  stocky,  l)road-collarcd,  and  wide-trou- 
sered figure  of  an  old  tar[»aulin  gazing  knowingly  to  seaward,  or  ell)ow- 
inj;  the  crowd  with  the  rollini;  movement  of  a  heavv-laden  shii>  ruimiii"' 
before  a  gale  of  wind. 

Ivyde  J'ier  is  one  of  the  rarest  spots  in  Old  England.  Hyde  town  is 
also  a  cliarining  place  of  residence,  presenting  lanes  hidden  in  shrubbeiy 
and  flowers,  and  cosy,  often  elegant,  cottages  at  every  turn.  It  also  ])os- 
sesses  a  yacht-club  building  and  an  art  academy.  A  certain  rustic,  prim- 
itive simplicity  seemed  to  me,  however,  to  cling  to  it  still  when  I  heard 
the  town-crier  going  about  tho  streets  in  a  dog-cart,  ringing  a  bell,  and 
shouting,  "A  large  and  valiuible  collection  of  water-color  paintings  will  be 

sold  to-day,  at  No. Street."     But  Ryde  is  fast  losing  its  insular 

rusticity,  and  is,  I  fear,  degenerating  more  f.nd  more  into  a  vast  congeries 
of  boarding-houses  and  hotels,  with  placards  in  every  window,  and  fees 
from  a  lia'pemiy  upward,  payable  to  every  one  of  whom  you  ma}'  happen 
to  ask  a  simple  (piestion.  There  is  a  museum  at  liyde  worth  visiting.  It 
contains  local  antiquities  and  relics,  including  the  ossuary  remains  of  the 
monks  and  founders  of  Quarr  Abl)ey,  which  once  stood  a  couple  of  miles 
west  of  Ryde.  It  was  a  wealthy  corporation,  owning  lands  in  most  ]\arts 
(»f  the  island.  Tlie  imnates  waxed  fat  on  the  revenues,  were  noted  for 
their  sharp  practices,  and  for  disturbing  the  domestic  peace  of  the  neigh- 
borhood by  a  lax  interpretation  of  the  seventh  commandment.  At  any 
rate,  the  reputation  of  the  abbey  was  not  savory.  Founded  by  Redvers  de 
Baldwin,  lord  of  the  isle  in  1132,  it  was  abolished  by  Henry  VIII.  Little 
now  remains  to  mark  the  site  of  Quarr  Abbey;  but  stone  coffins  have  from 
time  to  time  been  revealed,  and  the  spot  is  still  haunted  by  certain  char- 
acteristic le2;onds.  It  is  claimed  that  a  wood  near  the  abbev,  called  El- 
eanor's  Grove,  after  the  queen  of  Ilemy  II.,  was  often  visited  by  her  dur- 
ing her  imprisonment  at  Quarr.  After  her  death  she  was  buried  there  in 
a  coffin  of  gold,  which  is  guarded  from  the  cupidity  of  an  unrcgencrate 
generation  by  the  potent  spell  of  a  magician. 

The  Isle  of  Wight  is  divided  into  tM'o  grand  geological  divisions — the 
tertiarv  eocene,  and  the  cretaceous,  or  clialk,  formation.  The  former  in- 
eludes  tho  nor'rhern  half  of  the  island,  the  latter  the  southern  half.  On 
the  southern  coast  are  also  two  narrow,  isolated  strips  of  wealden  strata. 
In  point  of  scenery,  the  southern  portion  is  by  far  the  grandest  and  most 
various  in  its  aspects,  and  toward  that,  therefore,  I  first  directed  my  steps 


* 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


23; 


on  Icaviiif;  Ivydc.  In  former  ;Cears,  the  s^^aijc-eoach  was  the  only  and  the 
ull-siitticient  public  conveyance  for  the  traveller  who  did  not  care  to  see 
this  fair  isle  on  foot.  Ihit  the  vast  and  constantly  increasing  number  of 
tourists  who  overrun  the  island  has  caused  the  construction  of  two  minia- 
ture railways,  soon  to  be  succeeded  by  others,  until  ultimately  an  iron  net- 
work shall  weave  its  meshes  over  the  idyllic  vales  of  Wi^ht.  But  the 
pedestrian  will  always  lind  the  old  charming  lanes  and  stiles,  and  prefer 
thus  to  see  some  of  the  choicest  nooks  of  the  island.  It  is  a  pleasant 
nu)rnin<j;  stroll  to  Brading,  passing  by  the  spot  where  were  laid  the  bod- 
ies raised  from  the  Royal  George. 
Midway  between  Portsmouth  and 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  not  a  century  ago, 
the  brave  old  linc-of-battle  ship  heel- 
ed over  in  a  breeze,  and  went  down 
at  her  anchorage  with  twice  live 
hundred  souls  on  board.  Kempen- 
felt,  the  admiral,  was  lost,  with  his 
ilag-ship;  and  Cowpcr  gave  innnor- 
tality  to  this  tragedy  of  the  sea  in 
a  few  fanu)iis  lines.  A  buoy  now 
marks  the  spot  where  the  Royal 
George,  lies  —  the  sands  of  the  sea 
choking  up  her  port -holes,  and  the 
monsters  of  the  deep  toying  with  her 
mighty  skeleton. 

Brading.  a  cpiaiut  little  town,  lies 
at  the  head  of  Brading  Haven,  a 
lake-like  cove,  embaved  amono;  love- 
ly  hills  and  groves — a  most  charming 
scene,  except  at  low  water.  A  stone- 
cased  well  in  the  centre  of  the  port  shows  that  it  was  once  dry  land.  To 
the  outside  world  Brading  is  known  chielly  as  the  home  of  little  Jane,  the 
Young  Cottager,  whose  simple  and  pious  life  was  described  by  the  Rev. 
Legh  Ilichmoiul.  Her  rustic  cottage  still  stands  in  a  green  lane  at  the 
bottom  of  Brading  Down,  and  her  grave,  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
village  church-yard,  has  been  visited  by  scores  of  thousands.  Legh  Ricli- 
nunid,  who  was  pastor  here  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  not  only 
achieved  a  wide  fame  by  his  pathetic  rural  narratives,  entitled  "The  An- 
nals of  the  Poor,"  but  also  wrought  an  influence  for  good  hardly  equalled 
by  any  other  religious  writer  since  the  time  of  John  Bunyau. 


GHAVE    OF    THE    YiHN(i    ri)TrA(iEli. 


i 


238 


TllK  ATLxVNTIC   ISLANDS. 


I 


i^ 


j 

IjHIl 

i 

:H 

i'^H 

l: 

i 

1 

! 
i 

i 
1 

But  T>ra(lini]j  has  other  points  of  interest.  The  clnircli,  whidi  lias  re- 
cently been  most  carefully  restored,  is  undoubtedly  of  very  ancient  date. 
It  is  known  that  a  chin-ch  existed  here  as  early  as  704-,  in  which  ]>ishop 

Wilfrid  baptized  the  first  Christian 
convert  of  the  island;  and  there 
seems  nothinjjj  to  disprove  the  fact 
that  the  present  building  either  con- 
tains cei'fain  portions  of  that  primi- 
tive chapel,  or  was  erected  on  its  site 
at  a  remote  period.  Half-way  down 
the  lon<ij  street  of  Hrading  is  an  open 
space  where  buU-baitiui^  was  former- 
ly enjoyed  by  the  island  swains;  the 
ring  to  which  the  bull  was  made  fast 
is  still  fixed  in  the  centre  of  the  spot. 
A  well-worn  pair  of  stocks  aro  yet 
shown  in  front  of  the  venerable  town- 
hall,  and  some  of  the  diamond-case- 
mented  cottages  exhibit  the  rings  to 
which  tapestries  were  suspended  on 
festal  days  of  yore. 

South  of  Brading,  on  the  Ventnor 
Kailwav,  is  Sandown,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  most  beautiful  bav  in 
the  whole  island.  As  a  residence,  it  is  chiefly  attractive  for  its  sands,  ad- 
mirably adapted  for  bathing.  But  to  the  lover  of  nature  they  are  sadly 
marred  by  the  inevitable  rows  of  bathing-machines,  which  largely  neutral- 
ize the  effect  of  the  coast  scenerv  at  most  of  the  English  and  French  wa- 
tering-places.  The  Culver  Cliffs,  pei-pendicular  walls  of  chalk  washed  by 
the  blue  sea,  add  majesty  to  the  lovely  sweep  of  Sandown  Buy.  That 
notoriously  eccentric  demagogue  of  the  last  century,  John  Wilkes,  owned 
a  "  villakin,"  as  he  sportively  called  it,  at  Sandown,  where  he  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life.  The  grounds  were  curiously  decorated  with  gro- 
tesque pavilions  and  imitations  of  classic  tombs,  inscribed  to  those  he  most 
admired — not  excluding  himself.  A  pillar,  embowered  in  shrubbery,  bore 
the  epitaph,  "  Carolo  ChurcldU.,  d'lvino  2>oeta,  amico  jncu;Ao,  eivi  optime 
de  jpatria  laerito — To  Charles  Chui-chill,  the  divine  poet,  the  genial 
friend,  the  citizen  who  has  deserved  well  of  his  counti-y." 

But  Shanklin,  reputed  the  loveliest  of  the  lovely  villages  of  the  isle, 
drew  me  by  its  fame  from  Sandown — Shanklin,  sung  In*  poets  and  haunt- 
ed by  artists.     Keats  sa^'s,  "Shanklin  is  a  most  beautiful  place;   sloping 


T.nnll     RICH  MOM). 


TIIK   ISLK  OF  WIGHT. 


230 


wood  ar.d  meadow  ground  roacli  I'diind  the  ('liiiic,  which  is  a  deft  be- 
tween the  eUffs,  of  the  depth  of  nearly  three  liundred  feet."  The  site  of 
the  town  is  dee|»ly  uiididatin^,  presenting  many  (jiiiet  nooks  and  dells, 
wherein  nestle  the  most  charming  of  leafy  cottages,  surrounded  by  dense 
hedges  and  espaliers  tapestried  with  masses  of  Howers — fuchsias,  gerani- 
ums, sweet-peas,  heliotropes,  and  roses,  deftly  interwoven  by  nature  and 
art  combined.  On  the  sea-side  the  vilhiiie  evorvwhcre  termimites  in  bold 
])recii)ices,  whose  brow  is  parajjcted  with  turf,  and  furnished  here  and 
there  with  rustic  seats.  On  the  sands,  at  the  base,  tishermen's  rude  huts, 
lishing-boats,  lobster-baskets,  and  Hi-hing-nets  are  picturesquely  grouped, 
and,  I  regret  to  add,  rows  of  the  inevitable  b.ithing-machines.  It  is  but 
small  compensating  consolation  to  the  artistic  eye  to  bo  assured  that  the 
sandy  floor  is  here  the  finest  on  the  island.  From  the  lofty  slopes  of 
Dunnose  the  prospect  over  Sandown  Bay  offers  one  of  the  loveliest  sea- 
views  to  be  found  on  any  coast,  when  the  skies  are  blue,  tlecked  and 
barred  by  the  faint  tracery  of  fleecy,  moveless  summer  clouds,  the  shining 
cliffs  assuming  a  tender  roseate  hue 
in  the  mellow  afternoon  glow,  and 
the  amethystine  sea  enclosin<;  the 
isle  with  a  line  of  silver  foam,  and 
itself  enclosed  in  the  distance  by  the 
dreamy  coast  of  Old  England,  and 
lit  up  by  the  sails  of  trim  yachts  or 
(dippers  fading  away  toward  unseen 
lands. 

But  to  most  peo[)le  the  great  at- 
traction of  Shanklin  is  the  Chine. 
The  word  chine  is  a  local  name  ap- 
plied to  deep  grooves  or  clefts  worn 
into  the  sides  of  the  sea-cliffs,  in  the 
course  of  long  ages,  by  streams  seek- 
ing to  merge  their  brief  current  of 
life  with  the  eternity  of  ocean. 
Many  have  been  the  enthusiastic 
lovers  of  nature  who  have  visited 
Shaid<lin  Chine,  and  have  bved  po- 
etic hours  or  composed  living  verse 
in  this  romantic  ravine.  The  steep,  closely  opposing  sides  are  densely 
hung  with  verdure,  and  it  is  certaiidy  a  very  attractive  spot.  But  I  con- 
fess to  disappointment  when  I  saw  Shanklin  Chine.     The  stream  is  gener- 


t; 


Iff  I 


240 


'nil:   ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


Ir 


jili 


r:.(  I 


ally  exceedingly  nieai^re — a  mere  iiihsiujiiilieimt  tliread  diihhliiii;  (Idwii  the 
side  of  a  low  j)recipice,  and  slipping;  with  proper  hi;mility  over  a  siie- 

ecssidii    ol'    narrow    stops 
-:^^^^::^>^:':'''Z■'^■:^'-\^f^^~    or  led-es  towm-d  the  sea, 

elose  at  hand.  It  did  not 
add  to  my  interest  to  find 
that  in  some  places  artili- 
cial,s(]narely  cut  slabs  had 
reitlaced  the  natural  bed 
where  it  had  ])oen  worn 
away.  The  dampness  of 
the  place,  even  in  mid- 
summer, is  quite  repellini;; 
and  if  poor  Keats  spent 
much  time  there  when  he 
was  trvinu:  to  recruit  his 
health  at  Shankliu,  it 
must  have  added  to  the 
intensity  of  the  fatal  dis- 
ease which  brought  him 
to  an  carlv  i^rave.  I  have 
seen  scores  of  jilaces  of 
the  sort,  but  much  less 
known,  which  quite  sur- 
l)ass  Shankliu  Chine  in 
beauty  and  impressive- 
ness. 

It  was  with  a  certain 
sneakinij;  feeling;  of  rec- 
reancy  to  my  principles 
that  I  stole  into  Yeutnor  from  Shanklin  by  the  railway.  It  was  an  evenini; 
of  surpassing  loveliness,  the  western  sky  lit  b}'  the  hyaline  amber  and  t^old 
of  Avarmer  climes,  and  the  crescent  formiu2^  a  silvery  cleft  in  the  twilight 
—fortunately  over  my  right  shoulder — when  suddeidy,  with  a  diabolical 
shriek  from  the  engine,  we  were  whisked  out  of  the  glimpses  of  the  moon 
into  the  Plutonian  darkness  of  a  long  and  most  unromantic  tunnel.  AV^hen 
we  at  length  emerged,  and  found  ourselves  in  Yentnor,  and  I  entered  the 
hotel  coach,  the  extraordinary  steepness  of  the  streets  suggested  the  hope 
that  the  steeds  were  not  of  a  frolicsome  nature,  or  we  might  bring  up  on 
the  edge  of  a  precipice,  a'.id  take  a  plunge  of  several  hundred  feet  into 


SHANKLIN    nilNE. 


THE   ISLK  OF   WKJHT. 


241 


tlio  eoii.  J  Jut  \vc  stopped  siifo  {iiid  sound  iit  the  (-yii\)  ivnd  Lol)stor,  of 
which  1  CUM  si)eak  in  tho  most  hearty  terms  of  commendation.  Years 
ago,  ere  Ventnor  had  arrived  at  its  ])resent  importance,  the  Crab  and 
Lobster  was  a  wee  l)it  of  a  Iiostel  nestlini;  nnder  the  cliffs,  noted  for  its 
good  clieer  and  a  thorough  respectability  which  rendered  it  inaccessible 
to  all  but  res[)ectable  guests.  J5ut  times  changed;  visitors  increased  in 
such  degree  that  at  last  a  larger  building  was  added  on  to  the  old  inn, 
which,  covered  with  ivy,  clings  to  tho  newer  and  more  pretentious  dwell- 
ing. To  make  r(»om  fV)r  the  latter,  the  steep  rock  sides  were  hewn  away. 
Even  now  the  Crab  and  Lobster  is  of  moderate  pro[)ortions,  thus  oifering 
accommodation  to  a  linuted  few,  an  immense  advantage  to  the  visitor,  and, 
in  the  way  it  is  kept,  it  is  truly  a  model  English  inn.  From  the  heights 
innnediately  in  the  r(>ar,  reached  by  steep  winding  paths,  where  seats, 
shaded  by  lloweriug  shrubbery,  are  i)rovided,  a  most  delightful  prospect 
is  obtained  over  isle  and  sc... 

Ventnor  is  situated  on  the  undercliff,  a  narrow,  broken  strip  of  land, 


VENTNOli,    FROM    PULPIT     HOCK. 


half  a  mile  wide  and  seven  miles  long,  from  Luccombo  Chine,  in  the  east, 
to  Blackgang  Chine,  in  the  west.  On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  the 
steep,  lofty  wall  of  Boniface  Down  and  St.  Catherine's  Hill,  springing 

16 


1'! 


242 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


m 


H 


to  a  height  of  over  eight  liundrecl  feet.  On  the  soutli  it  terminates  in 
precipitous  cliffs,  washed  by  the  ocean  surges.  Sucli  is  a  general  plan 
of  the  undercliff,  which  was  formed  ages  ago  bv  the  bi-eakiuii-  away  of 
the  slopes,  undermined,  })erhaps,  by  streams  and  rains.  In  dire  confusion, 
the  sliding  mass  rushed  toward  the  sea,  and  the  undercliff  was  the  result. 
JJut  neither  pen  nor  pencil  can  adequately  ])ortray  the  limitless  variety 
of  forms,  the  exquisite  and  suggestive  beauty,  which  render  the  undei'clift' 
the  most  enchanting  spot  in  the  island.  It  is  as  if  some  vast  capital  of 
the  giants  of  old  had  been  overthrown,  and  its  palaces  and  towers  mingled 
and  heaped  in  indiscrimiiuite  ruin,  and  tlien  overgrown  and  beautified 
with  the  rank  vegetation  Avhich  time  throws  like  a  green  shroud  over 
the  remains  of  dead  cities.  The  illusion  is  heightened  l)y  the  cliffs  from 
wiiich  this  landslip  was  detached.  In  many  i)laces  the  jagged  and  ver- 
tical rocks,  sometimes  actually  overhanging  the  road,  bear  the  closest  re- 
semblance in  form  and  color  to  ancient  fortitications  of  stupendous  di- 
mensions. 

So  far,  Nature  has  done  her  part  in  beautifying  this  part  of  the  Isle 
of  Wight;  while  man,  with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world,  is  doing  his 
best  to  snbtract  from  these  attractions.  A  few  cottages  and  countrj'-seats, 
such  as  the  English  know  how  to  create  to  perfection,  did  no  harm  to  the 
undercliff ;  they,  perha])S,  added  to  its  beauty  by  the  introduction  of  here 
and  there  a  lovely  garden,  a  Tudor  casement  peeping  out  of  viny  trellises, 
a  few  rosy-cheeked  children  playing  by  the  road-side,  or  some  peerless 
English  girl  reclining  on  a  green  bank,  or  blending  her  evening  song  with 
the  warbling  of  the  nightingale.  But  alas  for  the  truism,  '"One  may  have 
too  much  of  a  good  thing!"  for  that  is  exactly  the  trouble  with  Yentnor 
just  now.  From  a  humble  luimlet,  rejwsing  in  the  sweetest  spot  of  Old 
England's  loveliest  isle,  it  has  reached  a  population  of  six  thousand,  which 
is  rapidly  increashig,  with  newspapers,  shops,  hotels,  and  all  the  other  ap- 
purtenances of  a  highly  popular  watering-place.  The  rapidly  rising  houses 
are  fast  hiding  some  of  the  characteristic  features  of  the  undercliff,  and 
every  pretty  drive  is  disfigured  by  such  advertisements  as  the  following: 
"This  fine  lot  of  two  acres  to  let  for  990  years;"  or,  "This  noble  estate 
to  let  for  2000  years;  inquire  of  Find  and  Fleecem,  Cheatem  St.,  London." 
Why  a  piece  of  land  that  is  to  let  for  twenty  centuries  should  not  be  sold 
outright,  it  is  difficult  to  understand.  Imagine  the  bother  of  now  collecting 
rent  from  an  estate  on  a  lease  made  before  Julius  Caesar  was  born.  The 
two  thousand  years  since  that  event  are  not  yet  up.  Besides,  if  titles  and 
contracts  can  be  made  availai)le  for  such  a  period,  it  is  rather  sharp  prac- 
tice to  try  tlie  process  at  the  undercliff,  for  some  of  the  estates  so  leased 


\  .. 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


243 


tlierc  have,  in  all  probability,  but  a  short  toiuirc  of  life.  The  overhang- 
ing cliffs  are  sure  to  tumble  on  the  estate  before  the  two  thousand  years 
are  out.  A  landslip  in  ISIO  destroyed  thirty  acres;  one,  in  1790,  hurled 
one  hundred  acres  seaward,  and  several  similar  convulsions  have  occurred 
more  recently.  Those  'who  M'ould  see  the  charms  of  the  undercliff  be- 
fore it  has  been  further  defaced  by  nuui  should,  therefore,  not  delay  their 
visit  to  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

But,  after  all,  one  camiot  blame  the  good  peoi)le  who  flock  to  Ventnor 
during  the  summer  and  winter  for  pleasure  or  health.  He  has  only  him- 
self to  blame   if,  when  he   goes  to ^_--^_____  ^  _    ^ 

commune  with  Nature  in  her  happi- 
est moods  and  as[)ects,  he  allows  his 
reflections  to  be  constantly  disturbed 
by  the  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
chattering  tourists,  swarming  over 
cliff  and  vale  like  Hicjs  over  a  bowl 
of  sugar,  or  geologists  and  mineral- 
ogists chipping  the  rocks  with  their 
hammers,  indifferent  artists  sketch- 
ing in  every  choice  nook,  and  pho- 
tographers introducing  their  instru- 
ments in  the  most  impressive  spots. 
As  to  invalids,  if  thcv  must  jro  to  the 
Isle  of  Wight  for  their  health,  Vent- 
nor is,  of  course,  the  only  place  for 
them  there,  after  the  autumn  sets  in, 
with  its  southern  exi)osuro  and  pro- 
tection from  northerly  winds.  An 
asylum  for  consumptives,  entitled  the 
National  Cottage  Hospital  for  Con- 
sumptives, has  been  established  at  Ventnor,  consisting  of  a  central  church, 
and  eight  pairs  of  cottages  on  each  side;  it  also  includes  a  hall  for  eon- 
certs  and  social  entertainments.  The  object  of  this  institution  is  to  fur- 
nish comfortable  lodgings,  with  the  best  medical  attendance,  to  invalids 
unable  to  go  to  better  health  resorts,  or  who  cannot  afford  the  expenses 
of  good  boarding-houses  or  hotels.  It  seems  to  have  been  attended  with 
a  fair  degree  of  success  since  its  foundation  in  1808.  The  manager's  re- 
port for  1870  curiously  sums  up  the  net  gain  of  the  year  as  represented 
by  a  ton  of  flesh.  A  ton  of  flesh  is  not  bad.  If  not  strictly  elegant,  it  is 
expressive,  and  saves  the  bewildered  mind  frouk  floundering  among  the 


THK     NATlllAL     KNt.MV. 


2U 


THE  ATLANTIC;   ISLANDS. 


minute  details  of  most  sanitary  reports;     Is  not  tlie  liint  worth  following 
in  other  social  statistics'^     In  municipal  reports,  or  a  luitional  census,  in- 


i  ^i  i 


llUNCUl  IK-II. 


stead  of  sunnning  up  the  nuniher  of  dead  and  born,  oi-  the  gains  in  popula- 
tion, M'hy  not  simply  and  effectively  set  down  the  net  result  in  tons  of  ilesh  ? 

To  the  eastward,  and  innnediately  adjoining  Ventnor,  which  has  grown 
up  to  it,  is  the  lovely  hamlet  of  Bonchurch.  In  Monk's  ]>ay,  by  which 
it  lies,  St.  Boniface  landed,  in  A.n.  755,  and  Bonchurch  is  said  to  be  a  cor- 
ruption t)f  J'onecerce — the  Church  of  St.  Boniface.  There  is  a  '.ell  calletl 
after  and  dedicated  to  the  saint  by  a  certain  bishop,  who,  on  a  dark  night 
in  the  nights  long  ago,  lost  his  way  on  the  steep  side  of  Boniface  Down. 
Ilis  horse,  and,  in  fact,  the  whole  of  creation,  seemed  slipping  from  under 
him  as  he  sped  down  the  declivity,  when  tlie  horse's  hoofs  were  canght 
in  the  cavity  of  the  spring,  which  gave  the  bishop  breathing-time  to  vow 
an  acre  of  ground  to  the  saint  if  he  would  carry  him  safely  to  the  bottom. 
The  saint  was  so  pleased  to  become  a  land-owner  that  he  closed  with  the 
terms,  and  the  bishop  lived  to  keep  his  promise.  The  well,  on  the  day 
of  St.  Boniface,  was  formerly  resorted  to  by  the  village  maidens,  who  hung 
garlands  thcie.  Divers  superstitions  and  nuich  love-making  and  junket- 
ing— all  connnon  features  of  holy  wells — were  also  associated  with  this  s]iot. 

There  are  various  other  attractions  connected  wl-h  the  idyllic  charms 


^yjr/^.' 


p'OWIl 

vliioh 
a  cor- 
Ciillt'd 

3own. 

under 

aught 

;o  vow 

luttoni. 

th  the 

10  day 

hung 


THE   ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


245 


of  Bouchurch,  1)nt  the  choiocst,  sweetest  spot  witliin  its  l)onnd3  is  its  little 
cluircli  and  church-yard.  This  quaint  little  chapel,  built  four  or  five  cen- 
turies ago,  is  scarce  thirty  feet  long,  but  contains  two  minute  galleries, 
and  is  not  a  bad  specimen  of  the  rs'orman  style.  A  curious  painting 
of  the  Last  Judgment  adorns  the  wall.  The  little  graveyard,  overlook- 
ing the  sea,  and  overhung  by  ivied  elms,  seems,  in  its  quiet  beauty,  to  rob 
death  of  some  of  its  bitteriu^ss.  Here  lie  the  remains  of  the  liev.  AVil- 
liam  Adams,  author  of  "The  Shadow  of  the  Cross."  John  Sterling  sleeps 
close  by,  poet,  prose-writer,  novelist,  and  conversationalist,  who  died  aged 
thirty-eight,  according  to  the  tom1)stonc,  and  in  his  day  was  highly  ap])re- 
ciated  by  certain  cultivated  minds — not  so  much,  it  would  seem,  for  any- 
thing he  actually  achieved  as  for  the  general  sum  of  his  powers  and  the 


.h'^i^' 


:^-:'. 


TUB    WELL    OF    ST.    LAWBENCE. 


impression  of  possii)le  greatness.     A  grave  of  more  recent  a!id  melamdioly 
interest  is  tha    of  Emily  Cowper- Coles,  who  died  in  1870.     She  was  the 


*.i 


246 


THE  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


A    CHAD-MTONKU. 


widow  of  Captain  Cowper-Coles,  avIio,  mi  a  wild  iiii^lit  off  the  coast  of 
l\)rtugal,  went  down  witli  five  liundred  souls  in  the  famous,  ill-fated 
iron-clad  CajHahi,  of  which  he  was  the  builder. 

To  describe  all  the  deli_i;'litfully  rural  walks  and  coigncs  of  vantai>;e 

which  offer  pleasiuii;  views  in  the 
neighborhood  of  l>onchurch  and 
Ventnor  would  be  a  tedious  task — 
they  are  so  numerous.  But  by  kecp- 
iniT  on  to  the  westward  alon<r  the 
undercliff,  one  comes  to  the  minia- 
ture chapel  of  St.  J.awrence,  said  to 
be  the  smallest  in  Great  Britain,  and 
a  well  dedicated  to  the  same  lazy 
saint.  Thence  it  is  a  pleasant  stroll 
to  St.  Catherine's  Point — how  the 
^i  saints  do  abound  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight!  On  this  headland  is  a  hand- 
some lig-ht- house,  whose  lantern  is 
174  feet  above  the  ocean.  Niton,  or  Ci-ab  Niton,  just  beyond,  noted  for 
its  Crustacea,  is  attractive  for  its  charminji;  country-seats,  and  is  also  the 
scene  of  an  interesting  historical  incident.  Admii'al  Ilopson,  who  was 
born  at  Bonchurch,  was  ajiprenticed  to  a  tailor  at  Niton,  when  an  Eng- 
lish scpiadron  was  seen  manoeuvring  off  the  coast.  The  Anglo-Saxon 
love  of  the  sea  suddeidy  smote  his  heart.  He  rushed  to  the  beach,  sprung 
into  a  boat,  rowed  off  to  the  fleet,  and  was  taken  on  board.  An  en<i-a<xe- 
ment  with  the  French  soon  after  occurring,  the  lad  is  said  to  have  achieved 
distinction,  and  hastened  the  defeat  of  their  fleet  by  springing  from  the 
main-yard  into  the  enemy's  rigging,  and,  under  cover  of  the  smoke,  tear- 
ing down  their  colors.  "Whatever  be  the  truth  of  this  not  impossible  feat, 
it  is  quite  true  that  he  was  promoted  early,  and  eventually  reached  the 
highest  rank  in  tlie  British  navy  by  his  courage  and  skill. 

Beyond  Niton,  we  come  to  the  Black  Gang  Ciiine,  a  grim  abyss,  over 
whose  frowning  edge  a  stream  spills  its  wavering  torrent  into  the  surging 
vortex  below,  where  the  restless  ocean  forever  foams  and  thundei's.  From 
here,  by  coach  or  on  foot,  sometimes  by  the  margin  of  lofty  sea-cliffs,  some- 
timiss  by  the  most  home-like  and  tidy  farm-houses  and  handets  imagina- 
ble, we  come  to  Brixton.  Frequently,  in  the  green  lanes,  one  meets  grou])S 
of  flaxen-haired,  j»lump-cheeked,  and  rosy  urchins  and  girlikins,  such  as 
Birket  Foster  delights  to  paint — the  future  hope  and  strength  of  the  land 
of  Shakspeare  and  Cromwell. 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


247 


Brixton,  or  Brightstoue,  has  within  its  boniuls  a  ty])ical  Eiiglisli  village 
church  ill  good  preservation.  Tiic  low,  square,  turreted  tower,  with  its 
peaked  roof,  is  singularly  picturesque.  The  original  Norman  arcade  has 
recently  been  restored.  In  this  little  church  once  ministered  those  two 
good  men,  Thonuis  Ken,  the  religious  poet,  and  Bishop  of  Bath  and  AVolis, 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  Samuel  Wilherforce,  late  Bishop  of  Win- 
chester. 

Passing  by  Brooke,  the  parish  of  Freshwater  is  reached,  which,  within 
its  brief  limits,  contains  some  of  the  grandest  coast  scenery  in  (ireat  Brit- 
ain. Freshwater  is  a  snudl  peninsula  formed  by  the  Yar  liiver,  which 
takes  its  rise  within  a  few  rods  of  the  southern  shore,  and  runs  north  into 
the  Solent,  where  lies  Yarmouth  town.  This  little  peninsula  trends  off 
to  a  point  which  terminates  with  the  famous  Needles.  On  the'  south  is 
Freshwater  Bay,  a  little  bight,  with  a  gray  beach  enclosed  at  cither  end  by 
rugged  cliffs  and  some  bold  rocks.  One  of  these,  rising  hugely  out  of  the 
surf,  is  pierced  by  a  Gothic-like  arch.  Here,  also,  is  the  delightfully  rural 
village  of  Freshwater,  which  is,  however,  fast  losing  its  primitive  quiet  and 


•ed 
:he 
jar- 
eat, 
the 

)V(>r 
,ing 
•om 
me- 
Ina- 
ups 
as 
and 


BLArK    UANQ    CHINE. 


beauty  before  the  invasion  of  a  horde  of  tourists,  and  the  jejuiu^  rawness 
of  the  frequent  now  houses  of  a  rapidly  growing  popidation.  Faringford, 
Tennyson's  famous  residence,  is  here ;  but  it  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that 
the  poet  has  at  last  fled  from  a  spot  which  has  lost  the  sea-side  seclusion 


248 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


■which  ^arc  it  such  attractiveness.     Ere  long  there  will  be  a  railroad  be- 
tween tills  place  and  Newport. 

Beyond  Freshwater  Buy  is  Scratchell's  Bay,  a  cove  at  the  extreme  west- 


,: 


m^ 


i 

M 

r 

1 

.  1 : 

m 

FAIllNCiKDIH),    THE    RESIDENCE    OF    ALFUED    TF,XSYSON. 


ern  end  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  chalk  cliffs  here  soar  to  over  six  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  sea,  bidding  defiance  to  the  ocean  with  aspect  austere 
and  sublime.  A  cave  or  arch,  three  hundred  feet  high,  at  the  base  of  this 
stnpcndous  M'all,  adds  to  the  graiuleur  of  this  magniticent  scene,  which  is 
fitly  terminated  by  the  immense  savage  rocks  called  the  Xeedles.  They 
are  five  in  number,  but  only  three  of  them  are  conspicuous.  On  the  out- 
ermost stands  a  h)fty  light -house,  built  to  supersede  an  older  structure 
which  stands  on  the  higher  cliffs,  but  was  found  to  be  too  often  enveloped 
in  mists  to  bo  of  service  to  the  mariner.  These  cliffs  are  haunted  by  in- 
numerable sea-birds,  and  some  of  the  adventurous  islanders  swing  them- 
selves over  the  edge  by  ropes,  and,  dangling  in  mid-air,  search  the  crannies 
for  cfffjs,  which  are  accounted  a  delicacy.  A  cool  head  and  a  stromj;  jrrlii 
are  the  requisites  in  a  business  which  must  continue  a  monopoly  for  some 
ages  to  come.  The  pursuit  is  not  likely  to  suffer  from  competition,  that 
blessing  of  the  consumer,  and  bane  of  the  producer. 

Passing  around  the  Needles,  we  enter  Alum  Bay,  which  is  encircled  by 
tremendous  precipices  ranged  with  a  sort  of  artificial  regularity,  like  the 
segment  of  an  am])hitheatre.  But  the  severe  sublimity  of  the  scene  is  re- 
lieved by  the  surprising  variety  of  colors  in  the  cliffs.  By  a  singular  geo- 
logical freak,  the  pearly -gray  monotony  of  chalk  is  relieved  by  vertical 
strata  of  sand,  clays,  or  marls,  irilaid,  mosaic-like,  on  the  stupendous  mass 
in  narrow  but  distinct  stripes  of  red,  black,  white,  blue,  green,  or  yellow. 


THE  ISLK  OF  WIGHT. 


240 


These  tints  are  harmoniourtly  blended  by  the  soft  light  of  evening  into  a 
picture  of  extraordinary  beauty. 

Going  from  Freshwater  to  Newport,  by  rolling  downs,  overf;'rown  with 
swaying  harvests,  one  jiasses,  by  an  easy  transition,  fi'oni  the  grander  as- 
pects of  nature  to  the  alluring  elianns  of  a  siiire  town  repusing  in  a  happy 
valley,  by  a  tranquil  river,  and  hallowed  by  the  historic  associations  of 
other  times.  The  wooded  coast  of  Hampshire  is  visible  on  the  left,  under 
the  setting  sun,  as  one  crosses  the  Yar  lliver,  and  Hurst  Castle  on  the  end 
of  a  spit,  which,  like  a  breakwater,  lies  across  the  mouth  of  the  Solent,  and 
reduces  the  channel  to  scarce  half  a  mile  in  width.  Newport  lies  near 
the  centre  of  the  island,  where  the  Medina  liivei',  a  brief  little  stream,  be- 
comes an  estuary,  subject  to  the  tides,  and  navigable  to  small  craft.  A 
Koman  origin  is  claimed  for  Newport,  M'ith  some  plaiisibility.  Thiit  the 
Romans  once  held  and  dwelt  in  the  ])lace  is  beyond  question — the  tessel- 
lated floor  of  a  Roman  villa  still  exists  in  the  vicini<^v — but  that  they  were 


SCKATCIIELL'S    BAT. 


the  original  founders  admits  of  doubt.  In  such  misty  problems  as  this, 
why  not  follow  the  bold  example  of  the  Dutch  chronicler  who  began  a  his- 
tory of  Holland  by  saying,  "Noah  was  the  flrst  Dutchman  ?" 


250 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


n 


Newport  is  a  tlirivin^;  place,  more  intent  on  the  present  tlian  the  past, 
presenting  a  bustling  ai>pearance  on  Saturdays,  when  a  market  or  fair  is 
held,  to  which  the  neighboring  farmers  flock.  Tiie  chief  objects  M'hich 
tlie  fair  leFt  on  my  memory  were  buxom  girls  selling  chapbooks,  rustics 
swollen  with  overnnich  small-beer,  and  proportionately  pugnacious,  strap- 
ping redcoats  elbowing  the  crowd,  restive  cobs  put  through  their  paces 
before  customers  incredulous  of  their  good  points,  and  lastly,  but  not 
leastly,  a  pig  determined  to  make  a  noise  in  the  world,  whose  erratic 
obstinacy  aroused  the  mirth  of  even  the  most  stolid  countryman.  New- 
port is  the  birthplace  of  Sir  Thomas  Fleming,  who  was  Lord  Chief-Justice 
of  England  under  James  1.  LFntil  1853  there  was  a  very  interesting  par- 
ish church  there,  dedicated  to  St.  Thomas  a  JJecket.  But  in  that  year  the 
decay  of  the  venerable  building  made  it  necessary  to  demolish  it,  and  an- 
other edifice  was  erected  on  the  old  site,  after  the  early  English  decorated 
style.  In  the  new  building  several  interesting  monuments  were  retained 
tluit  had  been  in  the  church  it  replaced,  including  a  very  cnrious  pulpit, 
carved  by  Tiiomas  Caper,  in  1G30,  wlu  has  hieroglyphically  placed  his 
name  u[)on  it  in  the  form  of  an  antic  goat  sui)posed  to  symbolize  the  word 
caper.  The  puli)it  is  divided  into  a  double  row  of  emblematical  figures 
in  bas-relief,  ami  on  the  somiding-board  is  wrought  the  gilded  inscrip- 
tion," Cry  aloud  and  spare  not;  lift  up  the  voice  like  a  trumpet." 

Another  deeply  interesting  object  in  this  church  is  Marochetti's  beau- 
tiful monument  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth.  It  M'as  erected  at  the  exj)ense 
of  the  Queen.  The  princess  is  represented  in  the  position  in  which  she 
died,  reclining  on  her  side,  resting  her  cheek  on  the  IJible  given  to  her 
by  her  royjil  father  at  the  last  interview  before  liis  execution.  The  like- 
ness is  from  a  portrait  still  existing.  The  inscription  runs  as  follows: 
"To  the  memoi-y  of  the  I'rincess  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Charles  I.,  who 
died  at  Carisbrooke  Castle,  on  Sunday,  Se[)tember  Sth,  1650,  and  is  in- 
terred beneath  the  chancel  of  this  church,  this  monument  is  erected — a 
token  of  respect  for  her  viitues  and  of  sympathy  for  her  misfortunes — 
by  Victoria  R,  1850." 

The  princess  died  at  Carisbrooke  Castle,  where  the  last  weeks  of  her 
young  life  were  passed.  A  few  days  after  her  arrival  there  she  was  over- 
taken by  a  sudden  shower  when  playing  at  bowls ;  a  rapid,  illness  followed, 
of  which  she  died  in  a  fortni<;ht,  at  the  aije  of  thirteen  years.  She  seems 
to  have  been  a  very  amiable  character.  She  left  a  simple  but  affecting 
account  of  her  royal  father's  last  farewell. 

Carisbrooke  Castle  is  but  a  short  mile  from  Newport,  on  the  edge 
of  the  villai!;e  of  Carisbrooke.     The  fortifications  crown  the  crest  of  a 


THE   ISLE  OF   WIGHT. 


251 


steep  hill,  which  seems  as  if  it  had  been  formed  expressly  for  such  a  pict- 
uresque pile.  I'y  !i  winding,  leafy  foot-i>uth,  one  apj)roaehes  the  impos- 
ing entrance,  a  lofty  archway  hearing  the  initials  of  Queen  Klizaheth, 
and  the  date  1598.  The  turf- carpeted  moat  is  crossed  by  a  massive 
stone  bridge,  leading  to  the  noble  barbacan  erected  by  Antony  Woodville. 
It  is  composed  of  two  ]»onderoiis  but  elegant  round  towers,  pierced  with 
machicolations.  The  curtain  which  joins  them  is  grooved  for  two  ])ort- 
cullises,  and  bears  the  rose  of  the  house  of  York  and  the  AV^ootlville 
escutcheon.  Passing  through  this  stately  and  venerable  gate -way,  ono 
enters  the  spacious  court-yard  of  the  castle,  and  finds  himself  surrouiuled 
by  an  unbroken  circuit  of  brown,  mouldering  walls,  profusely  draped  with 
ivy.  On  the  left  are  the  apartmejits  occupied  by  Charles  1.  The  roof 
has  fallen  in,  but  the  iireplaces  are  still  distinctly  visible,  and  the  divis- 
ions which  marked  his  dining- hall  and  bedchamber.  The  window  out 
of  whicli  he  tried  to  escai)e  is  tilled   up  with  masonry,  but  the  oi'iginal 


TllMll    UF    THE    rlilNCKSS     KLIZABETM. 


outline  remains.  Climbing  up  to  the  summit  of  the  barbican,  the  long. 
narrow  walk  along  the  ramparts  leads  one  to  the  kee]-»,  on  the  north-east 
angle  of  the  castle,  said  to  stand  on  an  artificial  mound.  It  is  an  exceed- 
ingly venerable  pile,  erected  by  the  Normans.  They  have  seemingly 
wrought  into  it  their  sturdy  and  determined  character.  Like  a  sentinel 
who  steadfastly  remains  at  his  post  when  all  his  conn-ades  are  gone,  it 
towers  above  the  laud,  grim  and  immovable,  to  guard  the  trophies  of  a 
race  that  long  since  passed  away  to  the  halls  of  oblivion.  A  light-house 
on  a  stormy  coast,  it  braves  alone  the  surges  of  ages,  while  from  winter 
to  winter  wreck  after  wreck  sweeps  by.     Its  own  turn  must  come  at  last. 


Ill 


252 


THE  ATLANTIC   ISLANDS. 


i 


A  flifjlit  of  seventy-four  marble  steps,  excessively  steep,  narrow,  and 
worn,  leads  to  the  platform,  which  is  guarded  by  a  gate  grooved  for  a 
porteullis.  From  thence  is  obtained  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  beau- 
tiful prospects  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.     In  former  years  the  landscape  was 


CAHISBUOOKK     CASTLE. 


1. 

I 


SO  covered  with  forests,  that  it  was  said  a  squirrel  could  go  from  Caris- 
brooke  to  Gurnard  I>ay  without  touching  ground ;  but  now  much  of  the 
larger  portion  of  the  island  is  bare,  here  and  there  embossed  with  clumps 
of  massive  elms  and  limes,  but  generally  devoted  to  agriculture  and  ]iast- 
urage.  Immediately  below  the  keep,  and  entirely  surrounding  the  an- 
cient mural  fortifications  of  Carisbrooke,  are  the  works  thrown  up  at  the 
time  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  modelled  on  the  plan  of  those  erected  at 
Antwerp  by  Italian  engineers.  They  have  undergone  little  moditication 
since,  but  are  well  turfed  and  neatly  kept.  It  is  not  to  the  credit  of  the 
English  Government  that  the  original  castle  is  in  such  a  dilaj)idated  con- 
dition. To  be  sure,  it  is  thus  more  picturesque;  but  unless  more  care  of 
this  majestic  and  interesting  relic  of  past  ages  is  better  guarded  in  future 
from  the  gnawing  tooth  of  time,  coming  generations  will  have  just  right 
to  murmur  at  a  parsimony  which  allows  one  of  the  most  impressive  and 
instructive  monuments  in  Europe  to  slip  into  annihilation. 

The  remains  of  the  chapel  are  worth  noticing,  although  they  do  not 
date  back  of  the  last  century,  having  been  erected  on  the  site  of  a  much 
older  structure.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  picnic  parties  taking  tea  un- 
der the  trees  which  overtop  the  roofless  fane.  The  building  formerly 
occupied  by  the  governor  of  the  castle  is  very  old,  including  within  its 
walls  the  chapel  of  Isabella  de  Fortibus.     But  it  has  been  so  repaired, 


THE  ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


253 


altered,  and  restored  from  time  to  time  as  hardly  to  be  in  keepiiif^  with 
the  antique  ruins  by  wliich  it  is  surrounded.  Tiiere  are  two  wells  of  g'reat 
depth  in  the  castle ;  the  one  in  the  donjon  is  fabulously  deep,  but  bein<^ 
choked  up  with  stones,  one  must  be  content  to  accept  the  current  state- 
ments without  question.  The  other  well  is  144:  feet  deep — quite  suffi- 
cient, one  M'ould  think;  but  the  visitor  is  liable  to  be  informed  that  it  is 
300  feet.  It  is  covered  by  a  room,  in  one  side  of  which  is  a  very  lari;e 
tread-wheel.  A  venerable  doid<ey  is  introduced  on  the  scene;  he  walks 
into  the  wheel  with  deliberation,  and,  the  while  iiKpiisitively  eyini.'  the 
by-standers,  draws  u[)  the  bucket.  No  sooner  does  it  reach  the  curli  than 
he  makes  an  abortive  attempt  to  bray;  but  old  age  has  inqiaired  his  once 
tuneful  throat.  He  has  been  enqjloyed  at  this  not  severely  intellectual 
occupation  for  thirty-three  years.  Several  donkeys  have  served  before 
him — one  for  thirty  years,  and  two  others  for  over  forty  years  each,  flo- 
tation in  office  does  not  seem  to  be  common  at  Carisbrooke.  Office-seek- 
ers will  therefore  lind  it  useless  to  ap[»ly. 

Many  interesting  historical  incidents  are  associated  with  Carisbrooke 
Castle,  but  none  more  interesting  than  the  inq)risouuient  of  Charles  I. 
within  its  walls.  Contrary  to  the  general  opinion,  that  unfortunate  mon- 
arch was  not  sent  to  Carisbrooke  by  rarliament,  but  went  there  of  his 
own  accord,  as  to  a  safe  asylum  from  his  enforced  confinement  at  Hamp- 
ton Court.  Kestive  under  restraint,  and  perhaps  apprehending  assassina- 
tion from  poison  or  the  dagger.  King  Cliarles  contrived  to  elude  his  guard, 
and  fled  to  Titchtield  House,  near  the  southern  coast,  where  he  was  hos- 
pitably received  and  concealed.  Thence  he  despatched  messengers  to 
Colonel  Hammond,  the  governor  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  in  whose  well- 
known  character  for  kindliness,  and  moderation,  and  honor  he  placed  re- 
liance. Hannnond  returned  with  them  to  Titchtield  House,  and  the  king 
concluded  then  to  })lace  himself  under  his  protection,  trusting  for  his 
favorable  interposition  between  Parliament  and  its  captive.  Accordingly 
he  crossed  the  Solent,  and  entered  the  stern  walls  of  Carisbrooke.  But 
the  Parliamentary  leaders,  having  the  king  once  more  within  their  grip, 
were  not  minded  to  release  him,  and  Colonel  Hammond  received  strict 
orders,  which  ni;ide  him  answerable  for  the  possession  of  Charles.  How- 
ever, he  treated  the  king  with  much  kindness,  allowing  him  large  liberty, 
even  to  huntino;  in  the  neighboring  forests.  But  after  the  kiuij's  first  at- 
tempt  to  escape,  he  was  brought  under  much  closer  surveillance.  Henry 
Firebrace,  a  faithful  adherent  of  the  king's  household,  devised  a  plan  for 
escape  by  entering  into  communication  w^itli  Cajitain  Titus,  one  of  the 
wardens,  who  was  secretly  a  royalist.    A  system  of  correspondence  was 


254 


TIIK  ATLANTIC  ISLANDS. 


I 


J1  ;    !      I  . 


contrived,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  on  a  concerted  niijlit  Cliai'lcs 
should  let  himself  down  from  the  window  of  hi;,  chamber.  Horses  would 
be  in  waitini;  to  carry  him  to  the  coast,  lie  was  advised  to  (!Ut  the  bars 
of  the  window  with  aijual'ortis  and  a  lile,  but  maintained  that  where  his 
head  coidd  pass  his  btidy  could  follow.  All  was  in  readiness  when  the 
a]>pointed  hour  arrived,  and  Firebrace,  by  a  concerted  signal,  llun<:^  a  stone 
against  the  window.  Tlie  king  was  to  descend,  seated  on  a  crossbar  at- 
tached to  the  end  of  a  rope,  and  he  now  proceeded  to  ])ass  out  of  the 
window;  but  his  shoulders  stuck  fast,  and  for  some  moments  ho  was  in 
a  very  ]>ainful  ])osition.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  precaution  he  had  taken 
of  fastening  a  cord  to  a  staple  within,  he  would  have  been  unable  to  with- 
draw himself  fi'om  this  awkward  situation.  Firebrace  hoard  him  groan, 
and  soon  after  Charles  put  a  candle  in  the  window,  indi(;ating  the  failure 
of  the  scheme.    One  need  not  necessarily  be  a  royalist  or  an  Episcopalian  in 

order  to  8ynii)athize  deeply  with  this 
ill-fated  but  heroic  monarch  in  his 
misfortunes.  J>y  a  mysterious  law 
of  Providence,  it  M'as  his  destiny  to 
expiate  the  crimes  of  his  predeces- 
sors by  being  jdaced  in  a  false  posi- 
tion, with  which  he  was  incapable  of 
coping  successfully.  He  was  made 
the  scape -goat  for  the  sins  of  Ed- 
ward IV.,  Henry  VIII.,  Mary,  Eliza- 
beth, and  James  I.  His  public  er- 
rors were  the  results  of  education 
or  inca])acity  to  deal  with  a  great 
"''"""^^■-  crisis.     In  private  life  and  character, 

he  surpassed  his  predecessors  and  most  of  his  successors. 

A  pleasant  stroll  of  three  or  four  miles  from  Newport  takes  one  to 
the  peaceful  vale  and  village  of  Arreton,  the  scene  of  a  simpler,  yet  not 
less  instructive,  drama  than  that  of  Carisbrooke.  There  still  stands  the 
picturesque  cottage  of  Elizabeth  Walbridgo,  the  "Dairyman's  Haughter," 
whose  story  is  so  beautifully  told  by  Legh  T^ichmond.  Her  grave  is  in 
the  village  church-yai'd,  from  which  her  cottage  is  somewhat  over  a  mile 
distant;  the  headstone  bears  a  beautiful  tribute  to  her  memorj'. 

After  seeing  Newport  and  Carisbrooke,  one  naturally  and  rightfully 
concludes  that  to  linger  long  at  Cowes,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Medina,  is 
of  little  advantage,  unless  he  is  of  a  yachting  turn.  West  Cowes  Castle, 
built  by  Henry  VIII.  out  of  the  ruins  of  Beaulieu  Priory,  was,  in  1G51, 


■  »K 


THE  ISLE  OF  WKiirr. 


255 


the  prison  of  Daveiiaut,  tlio  fatlicr  of  Kii-li.>li  (.pcMji.  In  1S5()  it  was 
sold  to  the  llo.val  Vadit  Clnh,  who  employ  its  battery  for  tirinir  yaelitiiii;- 
salutes.  The  Koyal  Yacht  Club  has  its  rendezvous  at'Cowes,  and  "include" 
over  one  hundred  and  tifty  crack  yachts  on  its  rolls.  The  annual  rei^atta 
oeeurs  in  the  third  week  in  An<,nist,  and  the  plate  is  given  bv  Her  Maj'istv. 
East  Cowes,  on  the  lii<,ddands,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  ]\Iediiia  River,  "is 
the  scat  of  some  liands(.nie  villas.  Hero,  too,  is  Osborne,  one  of  the  fa- 
vorite residences  of  the  (^ueen.  an  elegant  and  imposing  edifice  after  the 
I'alladian  style.  Connected  with  the  extensive  grounds  is  the  model  farm 
which  was  one  of  the  ho])bies  of  the  late  Prince  C\)nsort.  Hut  the  public 
is  never  admitted  to  the  palaeo  or  gardens,  and  one  can  oidy  speak  of 
Osborne  from  hearsay. 

At  the  north  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  the  waters  of  the  Solent  and  Spjt- 
iiead  nnite  in  what  is  called  Southampton  Water,  the  beautiful  channel 
which  leads  np  to  Southampton.  It  was  on  a  charming  day,  after  gaz- 
ing for  many  hours  at  the  graceful  yachts  lying  at  Cowes,  drving  their 
canvas  or  gliding  from  point  to  point,  that  I  reluctantly  took  the  sreamer, 
and  landed  at  Southampton,  thii-tecn  miles  away. 


11?;  ^  I 


•I  i 
f  I 


tr!   »f  ^ 


APPENDIX. 


I. 


ox  THE  AI)^'ANTAGES  OF  SMALL  ISLANDS,  ESTECL\LLY  ATLANTIC 

ISLANDS. 

The  advanta<>"cs  <<i  islands,  ospocially  small  ones,  for  purposes  of  lioaltli  or  pleas- 
ure, were  not  as  yet  clearly  perceived  in  the  time  of  Sanelio  Panza.  Dut  with 
the  good  sense  and  shrewdness  wliicli  were  so  often  apparent  through  his  rustic  sim- 
plicity and  clownish  io-norance,  he  early  displayed  an  admirahle  perception  of  the 
value  of  islands  as  playino-  an  important  part  in  the  economy  of  human  affairs.  To 
be  sure,  the  island  of  which  he  eventually  became  the  governor  was  not  exactly  the 
sort  of  island  inclnded  as  such  under  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term ;  but 
Saneho  was  correct  in  liis  apprehension  of  the  principle  involved.  It  was  for  an 
island,  and  not  for  a  continent,  that  he  sighed.  And  he  was  abetted  in  his  insular 
aspirations  by  no  less  a  traveller,  adventurer,  and  ornament  of  chivalry  than  Don 
Quixote  himself,  throngh  whose  ii)Huen(.'e  Saneho  became  the  governor  of  an  island 
so  called  for  euphony. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  love  for  islands,  and  especially  for  small  islands,  is 
rational  and  improving.  It  enables  one  to  gratify  the  roving  ])ropensity,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  combine  with  it  the  attainmcMit  of  information,  breadtli  and  catho- 
licity in  judging  men,  and  thoroughness  in  the  pursuit  of  a  given  end.  That  thor- 
oughness may  be  one  of  the  results  of  visiting  small  islands  is  almost  self-evident, 
but,  strange  to  say,  some  may  be  found  who  doubt  it ;  and  yet  is  it  not  indubitable, 
for  the  folloNsing  reasons?  Every  island,  however  small,  is  a  distinct  microcosm  or 
community,  with  people,  customs,  climate,  laws,  and  geographical  features  peculiar 
to  itself,  and  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world  with  entire  distinctness  bv  the 
water  wliich  isolates  it.  Now,  we  will  suppose  that  a  traveller  or  scientist  undertakes 
to  master  the  various  physical,  historical,  and  social  features  of  Fiance  or  Germany, 
or  any  other  Continental  country.  But  does  he  not  soon  tind  that,  to  acquire  a 
broad,  intelligent,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  that  country,  he  must  devote  to  it 
many  years,  and  p'issibly  a  lifetime,  and  wid  'vcn  at  the  last  feel  how  much  yet 
remains  for  others  to  discover  and  map  out  in  the  same  inexhaustible  Held? 

But  given  an  island  of  (he  size  of  Madeira  or  New  I'rovidence,  aiul  while  the 
traveller  may  modestlv  urant  that,  after  carefullv  investigating  it,  there  is  still  much 

IT      '  ^        " 


258 


APPENDIX. 


'  -Hbm  ' 


to  bo  learned  about  I^,  yot  lie  cati  honestly  claim,  on  the  other  hand,  that  in  a  few 
weeks  or  months  lie  has  been  able  to  obtain  a  better  general  idea  of  it,  has  been 
able  better  to  comprehend  it  as  a  distinct  entity,  than  he  could  understand  the  char- 
acter and  institutions  of  (lermany,  or  France,  or  Russia  in  a  lifetime.  Hence  fol- 
lows an  incentive  to  thoroughness,  besides  a  greater  satisfaction  in  the  pursuit  of  a 
subject  Avhich  may  be  ac(juired  with  a  certain  rounded  completeness  within  a  reason- 
able period,  thus  enabling  the  traveller  to  turn  with  fresh  zest  to  another  object 
before  he  has  become  wearied  with  effort  too  long  sustained  in  one  direction. 

Thus  far  as  regards  the  advantages  of  small  islands  in  general,  and  the  attrac- 
tions they  offer  to  the  tourist  or  ihe  scientist.  But  many  small  islands  possess  still 
another  advantage  over  a  continent,  in  that  they  offer  superior  opportu*  'ties  for 
improvement  to  invalids,  who  are  ob'iged,  on  account  of  chronic  disease,  to  leave 
their  homes  in  search  of  a  health  resort.  No  one  will  dispute  the  fact  that  sea  air 
is,  on  the  whole,  ihe  most  fraught  with  tonic  qualities  of  any,  althoug!i  sometimes  it 
needs  to  be  warmed  by  a  Kiuthcrn  sun  to  graduate  it  to  the  wasted  strength  of  the 
consumptive.  Of  coursr  the  best  way  to  obtain  it  is  on  a  ship  at  sea.  But  this  to 
many  is  impossible,  owing  to  sea-sickness.  A  small  island  is,  therefore,  the  next 
best  thing,  other  things  being  equal.  And  the  smaller  the  island,  the  greater  the 
advantage;  for  then  the  wind  everywhere  comes  in  a  more  direct  manner  off  the 
sea,  laden  with  its  tonic  qualities.  Jiy  the  same  reasoning,  the  climate  on  a  small 
island  is  much  less  liable  to  variations  and  extremes,  for  sea  air  is  always  more 
equable  than  land  air,  and  the  extremes  of  tenq)erature  are  much  less  violent  in  the 
same  latitude  on  the  sea  than  on  the  land.  If  to  this  greater  evenness  of  tempera- 
ture is  added  the  nncliangeable,  scarcely  varying  character  imparted  to  a  climate  by 
the  trade-winds  in  a  latitude  free  from  extreme  lieat  the  whole  or  half  of  the  ;  ear, 
<m  a  small  island,  we  liave,  at  last,  a  climate  that  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  can  be 
anywhere  found  for  meeting  the  conditions  recjuisite  to  restoration  of  health. 

Thus  we  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  a  small  island  offers,  in  the  lirst  place, 
peculiar  and  superior  advantages  to  the  tourist  and  the  seeker  after  rational 
entertainujcnt  and  instruction.  In  addition  to  this,  and  of  still  greater  importance, 
we  find  that  small  islands  within  certain  latitudes,  and  according  to  the  season  of 
the  year,  afford  to  the  invalid  the  ad\antages  of  a  tonic  air  and  an  equability  of 
temperature  superior  to  anything  which  can  be  obtained  on  a  continent,  even  along 
its  sea-coast.  Thus,  during  the  winter  solstice  the  Bahamas  are  infinitely  to  be 
preferred  to  the  neighboring  health  resorts  of  Florida,  where  a  weeping  sun  and  a 
capricious  temperature  often  lead  the  invalid  to  curse  the  day  that  ever  he  turned 
toward  the  tiowery  peninsula. 

"We  find,  further,  that  of  those  islands  in  the  North  Atlantic  which  are  free  from 
yellow  fever  or  endemic  pests,  those  take  the  precedence  which  are  within  the 
beneficent  influence  of  the  trade-winds,  those  delicious  breezes  which  seem  by  their 
regularity  to  give  such  an  idea  of  permanence  to  life,  wafting  away  regrets  for  the 
past  and  unconcern  for  the  future,  and  magically  luring  the  soul  to  dwell  content 
with  the  dreamy  days  as  they  come  and  go,  and  simply  enjoy  the  enormous  luxury 


APPENDIX. 


259 


DC 


I  of 

In- 
n 


the 

-lit 

liry 


of  beiiifj.  It  follows  tliat  those  amoni!;  the  trade-wind  islands,  on  which  the  invalid 
can  live  the  year  round  with  beneficial  and  permanent  results,  are  the  most  desirable 
spots  on  the  o'lobc  as  health  resorts. 

Wc  are  thus  nh' ^  to  form  a  distinct  classification  of  the  sanitary  islands  in  the 
North  Atlantic,  and  can  state  with  confidence  the  advantaii;;es  of  each.  I'irst  amonsjj 
the  trade-wind  islands  arc  Teneriffc  and  Madeira,  where  the  invalid  can  stay  with 
the  best  results  during  the  whole  year.  The  valley  of  Orotava,  in  Teneritfe, combines 
more  climatic  advantages  than  any  other  island  spot  in  the  Atlantic,  the  variations 
of  temperature  being  excessively  slight,  the  influence  of  the  main-land  impercepti- 
ble, and  the  air  dry  without  the  parched  aridity  of  the  desert.  Madeira  is  a  little 
more  moist,  and  its  dampness  has  somewhat  increased  since  the  cultivation  of  the 
sugar-cane;  but  it  is  confined  to  certain  localities,  and  can  be  avoided  by  judicious 
choice  of  lodgings.  The  rainfall  is  also  greater,  but  is,  notwithstanding,  very  mod- 
erate, and  the  variations  in  temperature  are  only  a  little  more  noticeable  than  at 
Orotava;  while  the  social  advantages,  the  means  of  locomotion,  good  medical 
attendance,  and  the  comforts  so  essential  to  an  invalid,  are  more  abundant  at 
Madeira  than  at  Teneriffc.  The  Bahamas,  while  classed  among  the  trade -wind 
islands,  must  be  assigned  a  lower  rank  tnan  Madeira  and  Teneriffc,  because  they  can 
be  advantageously  used  as  a  health  resort  only  for  part  of  the  year — from  the  1st  of 
November  to  the  1st  of  May — while  the  cost  of  living  is  much  more  than  at  the 
islands  just  mentioned,  without  any  compensating  advantages.  l>ut  as  a  sanita- 
rium for  winter  alone  they  are,  ^  yond  all  question,  superior  to  any  other  health 
resort  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Nmlh  America. 

Leaving  the  trade-winds,  we  now  come  to  island  resorts  offering  less  advantages 
than  those  just  mentioned,  but  still  desirable  for  part  of  the  year  to  one  who  cannot 
go  as  far  as  the  trade-wind  islands.  The  Bermudas  are  the  first  of  these  in  colebritv; 
but,  charming  as  they  are  for  the  tourist,  they  cannot  be  safely  commended  to  the 
consumptive,  pxcept  in  the  contingency  that  he  cannot  go  to  any  better  resort. 
They  are  excessively  damp,  far  exceeding  in  this  respect  all  other  sanitary  islands, 
and  the  climate  resembles,  in  boisterousness  and  variability,  that  of  the  adjoining 
continent,  although,  as  the  extremes  are  much  less  violent,  it  is  so  far  a  decided  im- 
[)rovement  upon  that. 

The  Azores  may  be  classed  with  Bernuida.  l!ut  while  the  latter  is  wholly  a  win- 
ter and  spring  resort,  the  foi-mer  can  be  advantageously  visited  by  the  invalid  only 
from  April  to  October.  The  excessive  force  and  dampness  of  the  wind  make  them 
verv  undesirable  during  the  winter.  Prince  Edward  Island  and  the  Isles  of  Shoals 
are  excellent  resorts  in  summer,  especially  the  former,  which,  in  point  of  scenery, 
and  equability,  and  moderation  of  temperature  is  surpassed  by  no  other  island  on 
the  American  coast  as  a  summer  resort.  Belleisle-en-mer  is  to  be  commended  to 
the  invalid  during  the  winter  months,  at  least,  as  a  variety,  in  case  he  desires  change 
for  a  few  weeks,  although,  of  course,  of  less  value  than  more  Southern  isles. 

In  another  class  a"3  included  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  the  Channel  Islands,  which 
arc  advantageous  during  the  whole  year,  although  their  greater  dampness,  more 


2G0 


Ari'ENDIX. 


I  i'  II 


ih  il 


i? 


copious  rains,  and  raw  winds  inako  them  far  inferior  to  TcncM-iffo  and  Madeira. 
But  to  the  invalid  who  docs  not  care  to  go  so  far,  Vcntnor,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
and  Guernsey  and  Jersey  can  be  safely  recoinniended  as  superior  to  most  resorts  on 
the  main-land,  and  offering  excellent  social  advantages. 

Newfoundland,  Cape  Breton  Island,  and  the  Magdalen  Islands  present  superior 
attractions  to  the  artist  and  the  sportsman,  but  are  too  bleak  to  be  of  advantage  to 
the  invalid,  except  for  two  or  three  months  in  the  summer  to  those  who  still  have  a 
robust  constitution  that  is  oidy  temporarily  enfeebled. 

It  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized  that  those  who  would  obtain  the  full  bene- 
fit of  these  resorts  should  go  to  them  early.  Too  man}'  make  tliem  the  last  resource, 
and  go  when  it  is  too  late  to  derive  health  or  life  from  any  quarter.  If  they  then 
die  on  the  islands,  it  is  too  often  attributed  to  the  climate,  and  not  to  the  tardiness 
of  the  remedy.  Abundant  time  should  also  be  allowed  for  a  thorough  cure.  Many 
think  that  they  arc  cured  as  soon  as  they  feel  somewhat  better,  and  consequently 
return  too  soon  to  the  bleak  climate  from  which  they  had  tied.  Chronic  maladies 
require  patience,  systematic  care,  and  time,  so  that  the  constitution  may  be  able  to 
readjust  its  disordered  functions. 

The  patient  who  resorts  to  these  islands  should  also  distinctly  understand,  and 
constantly  remember,  that  a  few  days  of  acclimation  are  generally  required,  during 
which  greater  caution  is  requisite;  while  prudence,  and  regularity  of  habits,  and 
avoidance  of  exposure  or  overfatigue  can  at  no  time  be  dispensed  with.  Too  many 
who  are  of  convivial  habits  think  that  in  such  a  climate  they  can  defy  ill  health, 
and,  after  deriving  some  benefit  from  the  change,  finally  neutralize  it  by  yielding  to 
the  seductive  temptations  which  more  easily  assail  them  while  living  a  life  of  en- 
forced idleness.  The  climate  is  then  slandereJ,  and  unjustly  receives  the  blame  for 
the  lack  of  cure  which  naturally  results  from  vice  or  imprudence.  This  accounts 
for  some  of  the  pamphlets  which  sometimes  come  out  against  these  sanitary  re- 
sorts. It  is  well  for  the  invalid  to  see  a  good  physician  soon  after  landing,  and 
learn  of  him  the  regimen  and  regulations  required,  according  to  tie  climate  and 
the  nature  of  his  disease. 


II. 


TTIE  BAHAMAS.* 

Nassau,  the  best  winter  resort  on  the  American  coast,  is  reached  by  the  steam 
line  of  Murray,  Ferris  Ai  Co.,  No.  62  South  Street,  New  Yoi-k,  who  liave  entered 
into  a  contract  for  five  years,  to  carry  mails  and  [)asscngers.  One  boat  sails  month- 
ly throughout  the  year  from  New  York  to  Nassau  direct :  fare  $50 — round  trip,  i 


*  Tlio  clinpter  on  tlu'  naliainfis  in  this  volume  fii'St  appciired  in  Ifiirprr\'<  \cw  Moiit/ih/  Mn^a- 
zinr,  together  with  several  of  the  otlier  ehapters ;  others  came  ont  in  S<')-i/iiifr\f  MoDthJi/,  tlie  AtJmi- 
tic  Afonthli/,  Apjtlt'loiui'  Journal,  and  Sioulo;/  Affiriwou,  from  whieh  they  are  now  repnblished,  with 
considerable  additional  matter.    Tlie  description  of  tlie  Isles  of  Shoals  has  lot  appeared  elsewhere. 


APPENDIX. 


201 


From  November  to  May,  a  steamer  of  the  same  company  sails  also  from  Savannah 
for  Nassau,  touching  at  St.  Augustine :  fare  $21 ;  or,  from  New  Y«trk  i'ia  tlio  above 
])laces,  $50,  and  the  round  trip  895. 

The  best  hotel  at  Nassau  is  the  Royal  Victoria  Hotel,  a  spacious,  well-constructed 
building,  erected  by  the  Government  at  a  cost  of  $150,000.  It  stands  on  an  ele- 
vation, and  is  built  of  limestone,  three  stories  high,  and  is  surrounded  by  spacious 
verandas,  commanding  a  noble  prospect  and  fanned  by  the  trade-winds.  The  ap  rt- 
ments  are  large  and  airy,  and  well  kept.  The  drawing-room  is  a  most  delightful 
apartment,  and  the  dining-hall  is  very  inviting.  Tiiis  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
hotels  1  have  seen  at  any  island  resort  on  the  western  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Adjoin- 
ing the  hotel  is  a  pleasant  billiard-room,  and  the  public  library  is  close  at  hand. 
This  liotel  is  now  leased  and  conducted  by  Messrs.  Mellon,  Conover,  S:  King,  and 
opens  November  1st,  and  closes  May  loth.  The  terms  are  $3  per  diem,  and  the 
average  expenses  are  little  less  than  those  of  a  tirst-class  hotel  in  the  United  States. 
Sail -boats  and  carriages  are  alwa3's  on  hand,  and  the  numerous  charming  coves 
and  lagoons,  and  the  admirable  roads,  suggest  various  means  of  enjoyment  to  the 
sportsman  or  the  invalid. 

Such  extravagant  eulogiums  have  been  bestowed  on  Nassau,  that,  to  the  appetite 
fed  on  such  highly  seasoned  food,  a  more  temperate  estimate  of  its  sanitary  and  social 
advantages  may  seem  tame.  But  speaking  as  I  do,  without  any  bias,  and  from  a 
wide  personal  experience  of  many  island  resorts,  I  must  assign  Nassau  a  lower  place 
than  either  Madeira  or  Teneriife,  because  it  is  bencHcial  for  only  part  of  the  year, 
while  the  humidity  of  the  evenings  makes  it  imprudent  for  the  contirmcd  invalid  to 
expose  himself  to  the  night  air;  and  the  social  advantages  and  the  attractions  of  the 
scenery  suffer  decidedly  by  comparison  with  those  oifered  by  the  transatlantic  isles. 
But  having  made  these  reservations,  1  can  heartily  recommend  Nassau  to  those  who 
cannot  cross  the  Atlantic  as  by  far  the  best  winter  sanitarium  within  easy  access  of 
the  LTnited  State.-. 

Frost  is  unknown  in  the  Bahamas.  Many  years  ago  a  slight  film  of  snow  cov- 
ered part  of  the  Great  Bahama  Island.  It  was  a  sight  never  seen  there  before 
or  since,  and  tilled  the  simple  natives  with  astonishment.  The  most  careful  and 
thorough  observations,  taken  for  successive  years  by  the  scientific  men  of  Nassau, 
indicate  that  the  temperature  from  November  1st  to  ^lay  1st  does  not  fall  below 
63°,  nor  rise  above  82°,  and  rarely  varies  over  8°  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  Once 
or  twice  in  the  season  it  may  vary  12°,  while  oftener  the  change  may  not  be  over 
6°.  The  humidity  is  not  excessive,  averaging  73.3°,  but  it  is  very  marked  after 
sunset.  Yellow  fever  has  occurred  but  two  or  three  times  during  this  century, 
and  then  was  brought  from  Havana.  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  the  soil  to 
induce  that  or  any  other  epidemic,  so  long  as  the  first  principles  of  drainage  are 
observed  by  the  inhabitants.  During  the  summer,  however,  the  long -continued 
heat  and  the  rains  relax  the  system,  and  arc  weakening  to  invalids. 


262 


ArPENDIX. 


Hi'  m 


THE   AZORES. 

TIicso  islands  arc  reached  in  the  most  direct  manner  from  the  United  States  by 
sailin<j;-packi.ts  from  lioston — the  bai-k  Azorean,  John  E.  May  &  Co.,  tlie  bark  Kate 
Williams,  J.  J.  Alves,  and  the  bark  Modesta — tlie  latter  Portiigiieso,  and  chietiy  em- 
ployed for  the  transit  of  the  islanders  emiifrating  to  the  United  States.  The  first 
two  can  be  recommended  as  thoroui;hly  sea-worthy  and  reliable  vessels,  commanded 
by  men  experienced  in  the  trade.  The  fare  is  $G0,  or,  for  the  round  trip,  $100. 
The  passaije  out  averages  sixteen  days,  and  the  return  voyage  twenty -four  days. 
The  vessel  remains  at  the  islands  three  to  four  weeks,  sometimes  visiting  Flores  and 
St.  Miehael.  Ten  weeks  may  be  allowed  as  the  time  for  an  average  trip,  if  one 
goes  and  returns  in  the  same  tri[>  making  a  charming  summer  excursion. 

From  England  the  Azores  may  be  reached  during  the  winter  season  by  weekly 
steamers,  sent  by  Tatham  &  Co.,  No.  35  Pudding  Lane,  London,  from  that  port  to 
St.  Michael.     The  fare  is  £10,  wine  included.     Time,  about  five  days. 

Two  Portuguese  steam-packets  ply  bimonthly  between  Lisbon  and  tlic  islands — 
the  Luzo  and  the  Atlantico.  The  Luzn,  leaving  Lisbon  on  the  1st,  touches  at  St. 
Michael,  Terceira,  and  Fayal,  and  the  Atlantico  visits  all  the  islands  of  the  group 
except  Corvo.  The  distance  is  a  little  over  700  miles;  time  to  St.  Michael,  about 
three  days. 

The  Portuguese  hotel  at  Flores  is  a  small  affair,  and  cannot  bo  highly  recom- 
mended. At  Fayal  there  is  an  excellent  house,  called  the  Fayal  Hotel,  under  the 
courteous  superintendence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards.  It  overlooks  the  port  and 
Pico  Peak,  and  a  large  and  attractive  garden  is  attached  to  the  hotel.  The  table  is 
loaded  with  the  game,  fish,  and  fruits  of  the  islands.  The  terms  are  $2  a  day, 
and  the  extras  are  quite  insignificant.  The  Hotel  Central  is  also  Avell  kept,  al- 
though small.  Numerous  meek  and  docile  little  donkeys  afford  the  chief  mode  of 
visiting  Castello  Branco,  the  Flamengoz,  and  other  attractive  spots  about  the  island. 

At  Ponta  IX'Igada,  St.  Michael,  is  a  spacious  hotel  near  the  water,  managed 
tolerably  well  by  Mr.  Bird,  an  Englishman.  At  the  Sulphur  Springs,  called  the 
Furnas,  there  are  two  hotels,  situated  in  the  midst  of  scenery  highly  interesting  and 
romantic.  The  best  of  these  is  very  efficiently  kept  by  Mr.  lirown,  an  Englishman. 
The  other  is  maintained  indifferently  well  by  Senhor  Lerogno. 

It  cannot  be  too  distinctly  stated  that  the  Azores  are  no  place  for  invalids  to 
visit  during  the  winter  season.  It  is  true  the  Thermal  Springs,  or  Furnas  of  St. 
Michael,  may  be  visited  nearly  as  well  at  that  season  as  in  summer;  but  the  advan- 
tages they  offer  may  be  gained  at  some  of  the  numerous  sulphur  springs  of  Germany 
or  France.  For  those  afflicted  with  throat  or  lung  diseases,  rheumatism  or  the  pro- 
tean forms  of  neuralgia,  the  Azores  arc  quite  too  damp  and  boisterous  in  winter. 
The  rainfall  is  then  considerable,  the  winds  are  very  violent  and  searching,  and  the 
houses  are  adapted  only  to  those  in  rugged  health.  Not  that  tlie  temperature  is 
ever  low  at  the  Azores,  the  yearly  mean  being  62°  at  Fayal,  and  it  rarely  falls  below 


APPENDIX. 


263 


53°,  although  44°  has  been  reached;  but  the  mean  toniperature  of  winter,  while 
steady,  rarely  rises  above  58°,  and  is  raw  and  hninid.  I>nt  a  marvellous  change 
occurs  after  the  first  of  May,  and  continues  through  September.  The  rains  arc 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  the  air  becomes  soft  and  dry.  Tlie  mean  tem])erature 
in  July  at  raid-day  is  V3°,  sometimes  rising  to  80°,  but  rarely  varying  over  G'  in  the 
twenty-four  hours.  Then  is  tlie  time  to  visit  Fayal,  to  breathe  its  delicious  and 
invigorating  air,  to  bask  in  its  beautiful  gardens,  and  enjoy  the  grand  and  beautiful 
scenery  of  those  lovely  isles. 

THE   MAGDALEN   ISLANDS. 

These  islands  arc  reached  most  easily,  by  one  who  does  not  mind  roughing  it,  in 
a  fishing-schooner.  Many  schooners  from  Gloucester  make  the  Magdalen  Islands  a 
rendezvous  for  mackerel  fishing,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  secure  a  passage  in  one  of 
them.  A  less  direct  but  more  comfortable  wav  is  to  go  to  Prince  Edward  Island 
by  rail  or  steamer,  and  take  the  steamboat  which  touches  at  Souris,  on  the  eastern 
end  of  that  island. 

At  Havre  Aubert,  on  Amherst  Island,  hotels  or  boarding-houses  are  kept  by 
Mrs.  Shea  and  Mrs.  Burns.  The  accommodations  are  scant,  and  the  fare  is  simj)le. 
But  the  rooms  are  clean  and  the  food  well  served,  and  seventy-five  cents  a  day 
cannot  be  called  high  for  board  and  lodging.  xVt  the  other  places  where  the  vis- 
itor may  resort,  he  will  have  to  depend  on  the  hospitality  of  the  leading  families, 
whose  charges  are  very  moderate. 

The  Magdalen  Islands  can  hi'rdly  be  recommended  as  a  sanitarium  for  invalids. 
But  to  the  sportsman  and  the  artist,  or  the  searcher  after  an  interesting  spot  for 
an  invigorating  and  novel  summer  vacation,  they  cannot  be  too  highly  commended. 
As  yet  but  little  known,  their  wild  and  sublime  sea  scenery,  the  abundance  of  the 
sea-fowl,  and  the  raciness  of  rambling  about  those  wreck-strewn  isles,  are  attractions 
which  should  not  be  easily  set  aside  for  resorts  of  a  tamer  character. 


THE  CHANNEL   ISLANDS. 

Those  islands  are  reached  by  steamers  plying  daily  from  Southampton  and 
Weymouth.  The  distance  is  the  same  by  each  route,  but  tin^  passage  I>y  water  is 
longer  from  the  former  place — 12:3  miles — but  only  82  miles  from  Weymouth. 
The  passage  is  often  exceedingly  boisterous,  but  the  boats  are  strong  and  weathorly. 
There  are  also  daily  steamers  plying  from  Jersey  to  Granville  and  St.  Malo.  Jersey 
lies  21  miles  from  St.  Peter's  l*ort,  Guernsey,  and  42  miles  from  St.  Malo. 

These  islands  are  well  supplied  with  hotels  and  lodging-houses,  which  generally 
afford  comfortable  fpiarters  and  a  good  table  for  a  moderate  sum.  At  the  hotels 
7s.  to  8s.  per  day  is  the  average  price,  and  the  boarding-houses  charge  35*.  to  45s. 
per  week,  and  the  extras  are  trifling.  Gardner's  Royal  Hotel,  on  Glatney  P]spla- 
nade,  is  one  of  the  best  at  St.  Peter's  lV)rt,  although  not  very  large.     It  overlooks 


204 


ArrENDix. 


1:1  .t 


l     r,     1         t 


i 

f. 

(i'f 

1 

••!     . 

iii   .  '^ 

the  h.irbor.  Of  boanliiiii-liousos  tlic  best  is  GardIlL'l•'^s  Old  (Jovernmoiit  House.  It 
uceu})ies  !in  elevated  posititm,  froiitiiiL;;  a  clianniiijjf  t:;ardon,  and  coinniandiiig  a  grand 
view  vi  tlio  town>  the  sea,  and  the  adjacent  isles.  It  is  well  kept,  and  the  terms 
are  iiioilorato.  These  two  establishinents  nuist  not  be  confounded  by  the  visitor, 
as  the  proprietor's  name  is  the  same  in  each.  Taudevin'.s,  Mrs.  Kichards's,  and 
several  other  excellent  boardinij-houses,  aid  to  extend  a  hospitable  reception  to  the 
invalid  or  tourist  resurting  to  (juoriisey.  It  is  not  dilKeult  to  lease  a  pleasant  cot- 
tage, and  such  as  prefer  to  live  in  that  way  will  tind  the  costs  of  living  by  no 
means  extravagant.  Those  proposing  to  winter  in  the  Channel  Islands  would 
do  well  to  secure  lodgings  at  an  early  date.  In  summer  the  islands  swarm  with 
tourists,  but  they  are  generally  only  transient  visitors. 

At  St.  Ileliers,  the  lloyal  Yacht  ("lub  Hotel,  facing  the  pier,  is  one  of  the  best. 
The  Imperial,  on  the  St,  Saviour's  lload,  is  a  large  and  conveniently  arranged  hotel. 
Of  many  boarding-houses,  Bree's,  at  Stopford  Terrace,  can  be  highly  recommended 
as  commodious,  clean,  the  table  and  service  good,  and  the  charges  moderate,  consid- 
ering tlu'  high  character  of  the  establishment.  It  is  unfortunately  situated,  however, 
because  it  does  not  comnnuid  a  .sea-view,  which  seems  to  be  desirable  in  such  a 
place ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  protected  from  the  biting  winter  gales.  Mrs. 
Treleavan's,  at  ^[dii  Sejour,  can  also  be  highly  recoujuiended  as  moderate  and  thor- 
oughly well  sustained.  Good  lodgings  can  also  be  found  in  the  little  town  of  St. 
xVubin. 

At  Sark  there  are  several  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  and  lodgings  are  obtain- 
able on  reasonable  terms  in  a  number  of  private  houses.  Gavey's  Hotel  can  be 
strongly  recommended.     Terms,  5.v.  to  (is.  per  diem. 

At  Alderney  there  is  a  good  hotel,  kept  by  Captain  Scott.  This  island  is 
reached  by  a  mail-boat  from  Guernsey  twice  weekly.  Sark  is  also  in  coiumunica- 
tion  with  St.  Peter's  Port  by  means  of  a  small  steamer  during  the  summer.  In 
the  winter  season  it  is  reached  only  by  the  Sarkese  fishing-boats,  which  ply  between 
the  islands  in  good  weather.     Sometimes  no  landing  can  be  etfected  for  weeks. 

As  regards  climate,  the  Channel  Islands  have  a  much  more  equable  temperature 
than  that  of  the  atljoiuing  continent.  The  thermometer  often  varies  only  7°  or  8° 
in  the  month.  They  are,  therefore,  to  be  preferred  to  most  ('ontinental  health 
resorts,  and  also  to  the  Isle  of  Wight.  In  summer  the  air  is  exceedingly  soft  and 
balmy,  and  entirely  free  from  extreme  heat.  An  invalid  who  desires  a  change  after 
a  winter  or  two  or  three  years  in  Madeira,  might,  if  strengthened  by  his  sojourn 
there,  pass  the  summer  in  the  Channel  Islands  with  beneficial  results.  I>ut  they  are 
to  be  recommended  as  a  winter  sanitarium  only  to  those  who  cannot  go  to  the  trade- 
wind  islands  farther  south  ;  for  in  that  season  there  is  much  dampness,  occasion- 
ally a  frost,  and  a  liability  to  flurries  of  snow — at  long  intervals,  however.  But  the 
difference  between  such  weather  and  the  delicious  winter  mildness  and  evenness  of  a 
winter  in  the  trade-wind  islands  is  great,  and  altogether  in  favor  of  the  latter.  At 
no  season  should  those  troubled  with  rheumatism  or  rheumatic  neuralgia  resort  to 
the  Channel  Islands. 


APPENDIX. 


265 


It  is  a  curious  fact  that,  although  chistorod  so  near  togother,  the  Channel  Islands 
vary  sensibly  in  their  climatic  characteristics.  Guernsey  is  more  dry  and  luis  a  less 
rainfall  than  Jersey,  and  a  more  even  temperature,  warmer  in  winter,  cooler  in  sum- 
mer, and  is  conse(|uently  more  bracing.  The  dows  are  heavy  over  the  whole  group, 
and  dense  fogs  are  not  uncommon,  especially  in  summer.  Aldcrney  and  Sark  seem 
to  be  rather  more  dry  than  Guernsey.  Consumptives,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  dis- 
ease, may  derive  benefit  at  these  islands,  with  proper  care  of  themselves;  and  the  air 
is  highly  tonic  and  invigorating  for  those  who  are  simply  overworked  and  reijuire  a 
temporary  change. 

MAIJEIIIA. 

This  island  is  reached  by  several  lines  of  sailing  vessels  and  steamers.  Tlii' 
firm  of  Fowle  ik;  Carol),  No.  ;31  India  AVharf,  Boston,  forward  three  or  four  vessels 
during  the  year;  fare,  $70;  time,  about  twenty-one  days.  It  has  been  done  repeat- 
edly in  thirteen  to  fifteen  days,  with  westerly  gales;  the  return  is  about  twenty-six 
to  thirty  days.  Yates  A:  I'orterfield,  of  No.  115  ^^'all  Street,  New  York,  send  out 
ships  touching  at  Tenerilfe;  fare,  $70.  From  there  it  is  but  thirty-six  hours  to  Ma- 
deira by  f  recjuent  steamers ;  fare  between  the  two  islands,  £ii.  Either  of  these  routes 
is  cheaper,  ajid  sometimes  more  expeditious,  than  via  Liverpool.  The  boats  of  the 
African  Steam  Navigation  Line  and  of  the  African  Steamship  Company  leave 
Liverpool  trimonthly  for  Madeira — time,  six  days;  fare,  18  guineas.  There  is  also 
a  trimonthly  Hue  from  Southampton.  All  these  boats  can  be  well  recommendc*!. 
A  comfortable  Portuguese  steamer  leaves  Lisbon  bimonthly  for  Madeira,  and  by 
taking  ship  direct  from  New  York  to  Lisbon,  time,  and  certainly  money,  might  be 
saved.  Distance  from  Lisbon,  500  miles ;  time,  two  days.  Other  steamers  are  con- 
stantly touching  at  the  island,  to  or  from  Lisbon,  Bordeaux,  Havre,  Antwerp,  and 
Hamburg;  but  they  are  more  or  less  irregular.  Madeira  has  telegiaphic  communi- 
cation with  the  rest  of  the  world  by  cable  to  Lisbon  and  Brazil, 

The  accommodations  for  visitors  to  Madeira  are  exceptionally  good.  There  are 
several  very  excellent  boarding-houses,  partaking  partly  of  the  nature  of  a  hotel. 
Keid's  and  Miles's,  in  Funchal,  can  both  be  very  highly  recommended.  The  for- 
mer maintains  two  houses,  one  directly  on  the  water's  edge  overlooking  the  port,  tlie 
other  higher  up,  opposite  the  Church  of  Santa  Clara,  commanding  an  extensive  land 
and  ocean  prospect.  The  terms  average  $2  per  diem,  which  is  moderate,  considering 
the  excellence  of  the  cuisine  and  the  efticiency  of  the  service.  Special  contracts  can 
sometimes  be  made  bv  those  intending  to  remain  some  time.  It  is  well  to  write 
early  for  rooms  if  one  is  going  in  the  autumn  or  winter.  Between  May  and  October 
many  leave,  returning  again  for  the  winter,  and  it  is  easier  then  to  get  good  rooms. 
The  extra  expenses  at  these  hotels  are  trifling.  At  Santa  Cruz  there  is  a  most  ex- 
cellent hotel,  kept  by  Senhor  Gonsalvez,  who  speaks  English  fluently.  It  is  charm- 
ingly situated.  At  Sant'  Anna  there  is  a  very  finely  situated  hotel ;  the  host,  Senhor 
Acciaoly,  is  a  thorough  gentleman.  The  terms  are  about  $1  75,  or  7.s.  per  diem. 
At  Ponta  Delgada  there  is  a  charming  little  house,  situated  in  a  position  of  aston- 


266 


Ari'ENDIX. 


ishinij  lovclinoss;  hut  this  may  he  wikl  of  moat  of  the  hotels  on  tliis  matohless 
island.  Rooms  ean  bo  obtained  there,  and  also  at  the  inn  at  San  Vincente,  but 
the  table  and  lod_u;ings  are  quite  simple  and  [iroportionately  cheajter  tlian  in  Fnii- 
ehal.  This  is  fully  compensated  by  the  delicate  air  and  the  f^lory  of  the  scenery. 
i\t  Calheta,  on  the  road  to  the  Rabacal,  lodj^ins^s  may  be  had  for  the  ni^jht  in  the 
picturesque  house  of  Senhor  Druniniond,  w'lich  was  once  a  convent. 

Good  horses  and  hammocks  can  be  hired  on  moderate  terms.  If  one  is  to  be 
some  time  on  the  island,  it  is  well  to  eni^aj^e  one  or  the  other  for  the  season.  A 
hurrequiero,  or  muleteer,  always  accompanies  the  horse.  For  an  invalid  no  more 
delightful  mode  of  locomotion  can  be  devised  than  the  Madeira  hammock. 

There  is  a  good  news-room,  provided  with  English  and  American  papers,  at 
Funehal,  adjoining  the  beach ;  subscription,  $1  per  month.  There  is  also  a  good 
library  of  several  thousand  volumes  in  the  next  street,  to  which  subscribers  have 
access. 

As  regards  the  climate  of  Madeira,  there  is  little  to  be  said  that  is  not  in  its 
favor,  provided  the  invalid  goes  there  in  the  earlier  stages  of  the  disease.  It  is  ben- 
eficial to  consumptives,  and  those  troubled  with  rheumatism,  neuralgia,  and  Bright's 
disease,  or  general  exhaustion  of  the  system.  The  objections  brought  against  it 
have  been  largely  due  to  an  attempt  to  prop  later  and  less-known  i-esorts  at  the 
expense  of  those  of  established  reputation  ;  and  also  to  the  grumbling  of  two  or 
three  invalids  of  ungovernable  temper,  who,  failing  to  receive  the  benefit  which  it 
was  too  late  for  them  to  receive  anywhere,  have  reviled  a  resort  that  has  done  so 
much  good  to  others. 

The  rainy  season  is  in  winter,  but  the  rainfall  is  very  moderate.  Protracted  rains 
are  unknown.  Sometimes  it  rains  hard  in  the  mountains,  aTul  light  momentary 
showers  are  liable  to  occur  at  all  times  of  the  year.  The  north  side  of  the  island  is 
(!ooled  by  the  trade-winds,  and  the  south  side  is  fanned  by  a  mild  sea-breeze,  rising 
in  the  morning  and  going  down  with  the  sun.  Clouds  temper  the  heat  of  the  sun 
during  the  day. 

The  temperatui'e  is  eqiuible  and  moderate.  PVost  is  unknown  except  at  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  in  winter.  For  eighteen  years  in  succession  the  mean 
temperature  at  Funehal  was  G8°.  It  never  goes  below^  G2°,  nor  rises  above  83°  or 
84°,  in  that  city,  except  once  or  twice  in  the  year  for  two  or  three  days,  when  the 
Leste,  or  Ilarmattan  (the  wind  off  the  African  desert),  visits  the  island.  It  is  a  very 
hot,  dry,  weakening  wind,  but  is  rare  and  of  short  duration.  At  Sant'  Anna,  tlie 
mercury  for  nearly  forty  yoars  did  not  go  below  60°  nor  rise  above  80°.  One 
advantage  of  Madeira  is  the  large  variety  of  resorts  within  the  limits  of  the  island 
itself.  Thus,  when  the  heat  is  too  high  and  steady  at  Funehal,  one  can  at  once 
reduce  it  by  going  to  Santa  Cruz  or  Sant' Anna,  or  going  higher  up.  Three  hundred 
feet  above  the  water  it  is  very  rarely  that  the  glass  rises  above  77°  at  Madeira. 


ArrENiJix. 


2G7 


tp:xeriffe. 

Tlio  Liverpool  and  London  bouts,  toucliinjj;  at  Madeira,  stop  at  Santa  ("rnz  do 
Tenoriirc  also,  both  .u,'oini;-  and  roturnini^.  Tiio  faro  is  19  gniinoas;  tiuio,  oight  days. 
Tlioro  is  a  Spanish  steamer  from  Cadiz  bimonthly ;  atid  French  steamers  from 
Havre,  St.  Xazaire,  and  Marseilles  toucli  there.  The  ships  of  Yates  <fc  Portertield, 
of  No.  115  Wall  Street,  New  York,  stop  at  Teneriffo  occasionally  ;  fare,  $70. 

Teneriffe  is  poorly  provided  with  accommodations  for  invalids  or  tourists.  The 
Hotel  Diirvan,  at  Santa  C'ruz,  is  well  kept,  and  th(jse  rooms  which  face  the  street  are 
pleasant.  The  table  is  good,  but  not  remarkable,  and  the  terms  are  moderate.  Hut 
the  visitor  should,  and  doubtless  'vould,  prefer  the  north  side  of  Teueriife,  especial- 
ly the  A'alley  of  Orotava.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  better  lodgings  arc  not 
afforded  there  to  strangers.  Mrs.  TurnbuU's  excellent  bourding-house  was  admirably 
situated  when  it  was  at  the  Deheza  di  Vcntoso,  It  is  now  nearer  the  water,  at  the 
Puerto  d'Orotava,  and  the  terms  moderate;  but  the  accommodations  are  quite  lim- 
ited. However,  the  increasing  number  of  visitors  will  probably  soon  result  in  the 
providing  of  more  facilities  for  their  reception.  Good  houses  are  not  difficult  to 
find  at  a  moderate  rent,  and  the  cost  of  living  is  not  high.  As  the  Valley  of  Oro- 
tava presents  an  ideal  climate,  and  is  easy  of  access,  it  is  highly  desirable  that  good 
lodging-houses  should  be  established  there  without  delay.  Donkeys,  patient  and 
strong,  are  easily  obtained  at  Orotava,  and  mules  of  doubtful  character.  At  S;inta 
(/ruz  carriages  may  be  had  on  hire. 

The  climate  of  Teneriffe  is  remarkable  for  two  features  beyond  all  otlier  regions 
in  the  Northern  hemisphere — equability  and  freedom  from  humidity.  Regarding 
the  former  characteristic  M.  Belcastel  says,  "The  thermometer  tires  one  with  its 
monotony.  It  appears  to  sleep,  and  one  can  count  upon  breathing,  when  he  rises, 
the  same  air  and  temperature  as  the  day  before."  At  Orotava,  about  three  liundred 
feet  above  the  sea,  for  five  weeks  in  May  and  June,  I  saw  the  mercury  rise  daily 
in  the  shade  to  72°  about  3  p.m.  At  night  it  fell  to  68°.  During  that  period  I 
noticed  no  variation  from  those  figures.  The  moan  temperature  of  Santa  Cruz  in 
January,  in  the  shade,  is  65°  by  day  and  67°  by  night;  ditto,  for  July,  79°  and  78° 
respectively.  Belcastel  records  the  mean  temperature  of  Orotava  in  January  as 
16.8°  Reamur;  ditto,  for  July,  24.7°.  The  mean  annual  temperature  of  Orotava 
is  20.2°  Roamur,  while  that  of  Funchal  is  18.8°  ditto.  The  moan  temperature  is 
61.6°  Fahrenheit  for  January,  and  76.6°  for  July.  Along  the  coast  of  the  island 
the  dews  are  very  slight,  although  heavy  on  the  mountains.  Rain  falls  at  Santa 
Cruz  and  Orotava  fifty  to  fifty -five  days  in  the  year,  but  somewhat  oftener  at 
Laguna. 

The  mortality  at  Puerto  d'Orotava  is  1  in  60 ;  at  Realojo,  in  the  same  valley, 
1  in  70.  That  of  Rome  is  1  in  32.  Consumption,  bronchitis,  asthma,  neuralgia, 
rheumatism,  and  Bright's  disease  are  all  capable  of  amelioration,  if  not  always  abso- 
lutely curable,  by  a  residence  at  Orotava  the  year  round,  or  at  Santa  Cruz  during 


;l: 


r 


il  I  liiS 


^1 

.if; 

iM 

1 

;J 

2GS 


AITENDIX. 


tlu!  winter,  pruviiled  the  patient  <;'oes  to  Teiierilfe  before  the  inahuly  has  gone  too 
far,  and  is  resolved  to  u>e  all  due  preeautiiuis  and  devote  sidlicient  time  to  the 
rebuilding  of  liis  constitution.  Dr.  Perez,  wlio  has  given  his  life  to  an  enthusiastic 
study  of  the  climatic  character  oi  Teneritfe,  and  has  kept  himself  always  au  cotirante 
with  the  medical  discoveries  of  the  age,  may  be  depended  upon  as  a  thoroughly 
capable  j)hysician. 

At  TeneritTe  and  all  islands  with  so  mild  a  eliuiate  and  such  an  abundance  of 
fruits,  the  visitor,  whether  well  or  sick,  must  not  forget  that  unless  his  liabits  are 
regular  and  his  ap])etites  under  control,  especially  in  the  fruit  season,  he  is  liable  to 
dysentery,  intianimati(»n  of  the  bowels,  or  typhoid  fever. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

Newfoundland  occupies  an  anomalous  position  as  regards  communications.  It 
may  be  reached  generally  by  steamers  running  monthly  in  winter  and  bimonthly  in 
summer  from  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  The  Allan  Line  between  Liverpool,  Halifax, 
and  Baltimore  touch  at  St.  Johns  every  alternate  week.  The  boats  of  the  Crom- 
well Line  leave  New  York  for  St.  Jolins  every  ten  days  from  April  to  November, 
touching  at  Halifax.  Fare,  $35;  round  ticket,  $G5.  Two  boats  also  ply  between 
Montreal  and  St.  Johns  during  the  summer. 

The  Atlantic  Hotel  is  a  respectable  house  at  St.  Jolins.  Kniglit's  Home  is  an 
excellently  kept  temperance  boarding-house,  with  limited  accommodations,  but  a 
good  table.  Mrs.  Simms's  lodging -liousc  can  also  be  recommended.  At  other 
places  on  the  island  accommodations  are  scarce  and  inferior. 

Newfoundland  is  rather  a  resort  for  sportsmen  than  for  invalids,  althougli  fhe 
climate  during  the  summer  is  dry,  and  free  from  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold;  but 
the  summer  inclines  to  coolness.  The  thermometer  does  not  fall  .is  low  in  winter 
as  on  the  neighboring  continent.  The  highest  degree  of  heat  in  July  is  79°;  the 
minimum  is  40° ;  the  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  42.2°. 

There  is  good  trout-fishing  in  the  island  streams  during  the  summer,  although 
tlie  enthusiastic  fisherman  will  liave  to  travel  some  distance  from  St.  Johns  to  find 
it  in  perfection.  The  deer  migrate  to  the  south  of  the  island  in  winter,  but  during 
the  summer  months  thoy  are  not  infrequent  in  the  northern  woods  of  Newfound- 
land, as  well  as  Micmac  Indians,  who  arc  familiar  with  the  haunts  of  the  deer. 
Grouse  are  protected  by  the  game-laws  until  the  20th  of  August.  The  seal-fisheries 
offer  many  attractions  ti:)  those  who  do  not  mind  roughing  it  in  every  sense  of  tlie 
term,  and  aiding  in  the  slaughter  of  the  450,000  to  500,000  seals  annually  destroyed 
on  the  ice.  Much  novel  and  wild  adventure  can  be  found  in  this  way,  and  it  is 
easy  to  obtain  a  passage  to  the  scaling  grounds  in  one  of  the  numerous  sealers, 
which  go  out  in  March  or  April  from  St.  Johns  and  Harbor  Grace. 


ArPENDIX. 


2oy 


BERMUDA. 

This  cliannltiii;  littlo  !jroiip  of  iiiiiiiatiiro  islos  is  roachod  in  sovonty  to  sovonty- 
Hvo  hours  from  New  York,  by  tlio  steamers  of  the  (^iiebee  and  <Jiilf  I'orts  Steam- 
ship Company,  whidi  run  bimonthly,  except  in  May  to  .June,  wheti  they  ply  weekly. 
The  passajj;o  is  more  likely  to  bo  boisterous  than  otherwise,  us  it  lies  across  the  Gulf 
iStream,  but  no  serious  accidents  have  thus  far  been  reported  on  this  line.  Steamers 
of  this  company  also  sail  nionthly  from  Halifax  for  the  West  Indies,  and  touch  at 
Bermuda  on  the  way. 

The  accommodations  for  travellers  at  these  islands  are  various,  and  ixcnerally  of 
fair  (piality.  The  Hamilton  Hotel,  under  the  charge  of  Mrs.  I.  \V.  iJodnje,  is,  anion tj 
a  number,  the  I)e8t  hotel  in  Bermuda,  pleasantly  situated,  overlooking  the  town  of 
Hamilton.  The  terms  are  82  50  to  $3  per  diem.  There  are  several  respectable, 
moderate-priced  board intij-houses,  of  which  Mrs.  Turnbull's,  called  the  Brunswick, 
at  Hamilton,  and  Mr.  Poniston's,  at  the  Flatts,  can  be  especially  recommended. 

The  climate  of  Bermuda  has  in  times  {)ast  been  much  noted,  and  for  those  who 
are  strong  and  well  it  is  charming,  and  far  morq  agreeable  than  that  of  the  neigh- 
boring continent.  Bermuda  is  out  of  the  range  of  the  trade-winds,  and  is  subject 
to  sudden  and  violent  fluctuations  of  temperature,  with  strong  gales,  attended  with 
a  heavy  rainfall.  It  ditfers  from  the  climate  of  the  main-land  not  so  much  in  kind 
as  in  degree,  the  extremes  being  less  marked,  and  inclining  toward  heat  rather  than 
cold.  Frost  is  recorded  as  having  occurred  there  once — in  1840.  In  1876,  which 
is  a  fair  average  example  of  the  Bermuda  climate,  the  maximum  rise  of  the  ther- 
mometer in  July  was  94°  in  the  shade.  The  lowest  was  40.6°,  in  March.  The 
mean  for  the  year  was  70.5°,  and  the  range  was  54.2°.  The  mean  for  the  year  1874, 
at  9  A.M.,  was  72.33°.  North  and  north-west  winds  prevail,  and  im|)art  a  rawness 
to  the  air  in  winter.  Strange  to  say,  very  few  houses  have  either  grates  or  stoves, 
and  the  consumptive  or  rheumatic  patient  should  always  have  one  or  the  other 
whenever  the  thermometer  descends  below  60°.  The  bad  drainage  of  the  houses 
causes  some  typhoid  fever;  but  the  authorities  are  waking  up  on  this  important 
subject. 

The  humidity  of  Bermuda,  especially  after  nightfall,  exceeds  anything  in  my 
experience,  and  is  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  climate.  It  is  so  excessive 
that  gloves  and  cigars,  and  other  objects  liable  to  mildew,  are  kept  in  air-tight  glass- 
cases  in  the  shops.  Matches  arc  so  damp  sometimes  that  they  will  not  ignite,  while 
cigars  are  so  saturated  with  moisture  that  they  will  not  burn.  Some  bromide  of 
potassium,  that  I  had  tightly  corked  up  in  a  bottle,  was  dissolved  by  the  moisture 
it  absorbed.  The  mean  dew-point  for  1875  was  63.3°,  and  the  number  of  days 
in  which  rain  fell  was  157,  the  total  rainfall  being  44.66  inches. 

Such  excessive  dampness  is,  however,  less  noxious  in  a  small  sea-island  than  on 
the  main-land,  for  it  is  charged  with  a  certain  degree  of  tonic  saline  qualities  tliat 
somewhat  neutralize  its  ill  effects.     At  the  same  time,  such  humidity  is,  under  all 


APPENDIX. 


circuinstancos,  to  be  avoided  if  possible.  For  those  in  vigorous  liealth,  Bermuda 
offers  a  delightful  but  enervating  climate.  But  invalids  troubled  with  neuralgia  and 
fever  and  ague  may  derive  benefit  from  a  residence  there.  But  those  who  are  suf- 
fering from  pcctr  ral  or  throat  diseases  cannot  be  recommended  to  go  there,  unless, 
perhaps,  for  the  spring  months.  Bermuda  is  probably  preferable  to  Massacluisetts 
or  Canada  for  the  consumptive;  but  when  there  are  so  niiiny  resorts  superior  to  it 
for  such  complaints,  it  seems  strange  the  consum^)tive  should  continue  to  go  there.* 
But  whoever  does  go  to  liermuda  for  his  health  cannot  be  too  strongly  urged  to 
use  great  caution  in  exposing  liimself  to  the  night  air  at  all  seasons,  and  by  no 
means  to  yield  so  far  to  the  seductive  mildness  of  the  air,  on  landing,  as  to  throw  off 
his  flannels.  I  have  known  some,  by  such  ill-judged  imprudence,  to  sacrifice  all  the 
good  they  might  have  gained,  while  others  in  com[)arative  good  health  who  have 
accom[)anied  them  have  contracted  incipient  consumption  by  sitting  exposed  to  the 
night  air.  In  JJermuda  no  one  can  dispense  with  prudence  in  matters  nf  health; 
but  with  prudence  one  may  live  there  a'  long  time,  and  finally,  as  the  inhabitants 
say,  vanish  in  a  good  old  age,  by  simply  drying  up  and  being  blown  away. 


BELLEISLE-EX-MER. 

This  island  is  reached  by  daily  steamers  from  Auray.  There  is  also  a  regular 
line  of  packets  between  Nantes  and  Lorient,  which  touch  each  way  at  Belleisle. 

The  Hotel  de  France,  at  Le  Palais,  can  be  well  recommended.  It  is  on  tin* 
chief  street;  the  rooms  are  cheerful,  and  the  table  is  good.  Carriages  and  wagon- 
ettes can  always-  be  procured  on  moderate  terms. 

The  climate  of  Belleisle  is  more  dry  and  sunny  tlian  that  of  Bi'ittany,  and  trav- 
ellers or  invalids  wintering  in  Brittany  for  their  liealth  would  find  it  to  their  advan- 
tage to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  Belleisle.  The  cheerfulness  of  the  skies,  the  genial 
warmth  of  the  sun,  the  mildness  of  the  temperature,  are  of  a  nature  to  aid  the 
neuralgic  or  consumptive  patient  in  the  recovery  of  health,  although  a  whole  season 
there  would  probably  be  monotonous  to  many.  In  May  and  June  the  air  is  balmy 
and  delicious,  and  the  sea-bathing  ex-'ellent,  while  the  n'  'iber  of  visitors  from 
abroad,  and  the  animation  attending  the  sardine  fisheries,  add  greatly  to  the  interest 
of  the  little  island. 


*  "The  climate  of  Bermuda  is  i-oluxing,  and,  so  far  as  I  had  an  opporl unity  of  observing,  espe- 
cially ill  adapted  for  persons  aRiicted  with  disease  of  the  lungs,  as  nearly  all  the  cases  of  phthisis  I 
have  seen  ran  their  course  rapidly."  Such  is  the  testimony  of  Surgeon-nuijor  P.  II.  Vj.  Cross,  in  the 
sanitary  report  of  his  E.\cellency  (Jeueral  Lefroy,  the  Governor  of  Hermuda.  Such,  also,  seems  to 
be  the  opinion  of  nearly  all  the  physicians  whose  opinion  and  experience  I  asked,  or  whose  views 
on  the  subject  have  appeared  in  the  otlicial  reports. 


APPENDIX. 


271 


PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND. 

Tliis  island  is  readied  from  Quebec  by  the  boats  of  the  Quebec  and  (xulf  Steanri- 
ship  Company  during  the  summer  season.  Navigation  during  tlio  winter  is  closed 
by  the  ice.  The  Internationa!  Line  of  steamers  runs  weekly,  during  the  open  sea- 
son, from  Boston  to  Charlottetown,  touching  at  Halifax  and  Pictou  for  a  few  hours. 
The  fare  is  810,  exclusive  of  meals,  which  are  80  to  88  more.  This  is  a  very 
pleasant  way  of  reaching  the  island.  Those  who  dread  the  sea  can  go  entirely 
by  rail  to  Shcdiac,  New  IJrunswick,  and  cross  the  Straits  of  Northumberland,  only 
thirty  mi!  js,  in  a  strong  boat  to  Siimmersidc ;  or  they  can  take  the  steamer  running 
from  Roston  to  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  touching  at  Portland  on  the  way,  and  go 
by  rail  fi'oiii  St.  Jolin  to  Shediac.  Thus,  there  are  many  ways  of  reacliing  Prince 
Edward  Island,  all  of  them  affording  much  interest  and  variety.  The  traveller 
wcjuld  do  well  to  go  by  one  way  and  return  by  another. 

I'rince  Edward  Island  is  traversed  from  (jnc  end  to  the  other  by  a  railroad,  which 
is  tapped  by  another  short  line  from  Charlottetown.  The  carriage  roads  are  every- 
where excellent,  and  good  horses  and  carriages  are  easily  obtained. 

There  arc  many  hotels  on  the  island ;  Charlottetown  swarms  with  tliem.  They 
are  generally  of  an  indifferent  character;  but  Miss  Rankin's,  at  Charlottetown,  can 
be  very  cordially  recommended.  It  is  commodious,  and  finely  situated  near  the 
water's  edge.  Mr.  M'Douald,  who  has  leased  the  new  hotel  at  Souris,  is  a  most 
obliging  landlord,  and  his  table  is  well  furnished  with  meats  and  game.  The  terms 
are  moderate.  The  Seaside  Hotel,  at  Rustico,  is  admirably  situated  on  a  bluff;  and 
although  the  rooms  are  small,  they  are  neat,  cheerful,  and  clean,  and  the  table  is 
excellent.  A  bowling-alley  and  surf-bathing  and  fishing  are  close  at  hand.  Terms, 
82  to  82  50  per  diem.  The  Island  I'ark  Hotel,  at  Summerside,  is  romantically 
situated  on  a  small  island  .n  the  harbor,  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  which  is 
reached  by  a  steam-tender  belonging  to  the  hotel,  or  by  crossing  a  ford  at  low 
water.  It  is  the  largest  hotel  in  Prince  Edward  Island;  the  rooms  are  spacious, 
and  command  lo\ely  views  over  land  and  sea.  They  are  Avell  furnished,  and  the 
table  is  served  in  the  American  style,  which  will  please  those  who  prefer  that 
method  in  :i  hotel.  Bath-houses,  billiard-rooms,  a  bowling-alley,  and  a  crocjuet- 
grouiid  are  provided;  and  the  woods  of  the  islet  are  intersected  with  winding  paths 
containing  rustic  seats,  and  a  carriage-road  which  encircles  the  shore.  Good  fishing 
and  excellent  yachting  facilities  also  await  the  tourist  sportsman.  The  terms  are 
$2  oO  i)er  diem.  At  ti.is  place  Prince  Edward  Island  is  so  indented  by  bays  that 
it  is  only  three  miles  across  from  the  southern  to  the  northern  coast  of  the  island. 
Malpeque  Jay,  on  the  north  side,  is  a  large  and  interesting  sheet  of  water.  I>oard- 
ing- houses  abound,  or  rather  farm-houses,  where  one  ei  i  find  good,  wholesome, 
but  simple  fare,  including  pure  milk,  fresh  eggs,  and  fine  beef.  Board  and  lodging 
of  this  sort  can  be  found  f.-r  85  to  $0  per  week. 

Prince  Edward  Island  is  wholly  a  summer  resort,  but  as  such  it  can  be  warmly 


M 

r-  :■-': 

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it 

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1 

272 


APPENDIX. 


recommctuk'd  to  the  invalid  wlio  is  sufforiii2'  from  «;cncral  norvous  cxliaustion,  to  all 
those  who  are  prostratotl  by  overwork,  to  all  who  would  fortify  their  constitutions 
au;ainst  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  age  by  sensible  vacations,  and  to  sportsmen  who 
love  boat-sailing,  nshing,  and  plover,  snipe,  and  duck  shooting,  with  an  occasional 
shot  at  a  brown  bear.*  Those  who  are  already  greatly  reduced  by  lung,  or  bron- 
chial, or  asthmatic  diseases  would  do  better  to  seek  a  drier  and  warmer  resort. 
Victims  of  hay  fever  may  spend  the  summer  at  Prince  Edward,  and  forget  a  tor- 
ment that  never  worried  Job,  or  he  might  not  have  come  down  to  later  aji'es  as  a 
pattern  of  patience. 

The  temperature  during  tlie  summer  is  remarkable  for  its  evenness  and  freedom 
from  extremes  or  sudden  changes.  From  the  1st  of  June  to  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber the  weather  is  very  delightful,  the  thermometer  ranging  from  00°  to  75°.  Light 
showers  and  an  occasional  heavy  rain  occur  sometimes,  but  eijuability  is  the  general 
character  of  the  summer  climate  there.  The  south-west  wind,  which  is  generally  a 
damp  wind,  loses  its  moisture  in  crossing  Nova  Scotia,  and  reaches  Prince  Edward 
Island  dry  and  deliciously  soft  and  balmy. 

ISLES   OF  SHOALS. 

These  attractive  little  isles  are  within  a  few  miles  of  Portsmouth,  and  are  reached 
during  the  season  by  two  steamers,  one  running  twice  a  day  to  Ap[)ledore,  and  the 
other  to  Star  Island. 

There  is  a  large  and  very  well-conducted  hotel  at  Appledore,  under  the  charge 
of  the  Messrs.  Laighton,  who  have,  by  long  experience,  learned  how  to  minister  to 
the  wants  of  their  guests.  On  Star  Island  is  the  Oceanic  Hotel,  a  spacious  estab- 
lishment formerly  kept  by  Mr.  Poore,  facing  the  cove  formed  by  the  cluster  of  isles 
between  Ajipledore  and  Star  Island.  Its  cool  verandas  are  very  inviting.  The 
terms  are  those  usual  at  American  watering-places. 

The  great  advantage  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  is  that,  more  nearly  than  almost  any 
other  inhabited  ishuids  in  the  WesLern  Atlantic,  they  realize  the  atmospheric  condi- 
tions'found  in  a  ship  at  sea;  for  while  the  general  temperature  greatly  resend)les 
that  of  the  neighboring  coast,  the  extremes  are  tempered  by  the  sea  air,  the  minute 
size  of  each  of  the  islets  giviiig  to  them  an  atmosphere  fragrant  and  healthy  with 
sea  qualities;  and  thus  a  residence  on  the  islands  has  tonic  effects  very  similar  to 
those  of  a  sea-voyage.  For  one  trait  these  isles  cannot  be  too  highly  recommended 
— the  uncompromising  and  intlexible  determination  they  show  never  to  allow  that 
strange,  mysterious,  sunnner  foe,  the  hay  fever,  to  make  an  entrance  within  their 
charmed  limits. 

*  For  an  account  of  the  fish  of  those  waters  and  the  season  to  catcli,  see  p.  201. 


Al'l'ENDlX. 


273 


CATE    r.UHTUN    ISLAND. 

This  islaiul  may  be  reached  by  rail  from  llaHfax  or  New  F)ruiis\vick,  or  by  any 
of  the  routes  meiitioiied  for  reaehiuij;  I'riiice  Edward  Ishind,  excepting;:  the  one  ciu 
Sliediac.  The  Uostou  and  the  Montreal  boats  touch  at  I'ort  Ilawkesbury,  in  the 
Straits  of  Canso,  and  passenj^ers  by  rail  are  ferried  across  to  the  same  town.  From 
there  stau'es  prueeetl  to  JJaddeek,  and  a  steamer  i>lies  thruni;'h  the  IJras  d'Ur  to  Syd- 
ney.    The  beauty  of  the  latter  route  is  exee{)tionally  attractive. 

Baddeck  and  Sydney  are  the  chief  towns.  Not  very  much  can  be  said  in  favor 
of  their  hotels;  but  the  boardiiiii;  establishmehts  of  Mrs.  Kinif  and  Miss  lleams  at 
Sydney  arc  excellent.  At  Jiaddeck,  the  Telcg'raph  House  and  the  boarding-house 
of  Mrs.  Robert  Jones  can  be  recommended.  The  terms  averan'c  81  ^-^  to  $2  50 
per  diem.  But  the  sportsman  who  visits  Cape  Breton  Island  will  not  care  to  spend 
much  time  at  the  hotels.  Campinn'  out  with  a  tent,  or  cruising  in  a  boat,  with  n>d, 
rirte,  and  sketch-book,  he  will  disdain  a  roof,  and  enjoy  the  ecpiable  air  of  suinnier 
and  early  autumn  in  "  rouii'liing"  style.  ()ne  who  takes  a  decked  boat  of  four  or 
five  tons  to  Tort  Ilawkesbury  in  the  steamer  from  Halifax  or  Boston,  and  floats  it 
through  the  St.  I'eter's  Canal  into  the  Bras  d'Or,  will  fln<l  few  sheets  of  water 
which  offer  more  attractions  for  a  three  or  four  weeks'  idle  cruise  from  cove  to 
cove,  fishing,  shooting,  sketching,  sailing,  and  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  the 
Highlanders  and  the  Micmacs.  Or  he  can  hire  a  small  schomier  or  sail-boat  at 
Sydney.  The  climate  is  very  even  during  the  sporting  season;  and  truut,  salmon, 
snipe,  woodcock,  jtartridge,  and  jilover  abound. 


at 
?ir 


ISLE   OF   WIGHT. 

This  favorite  resort  of  jtleasure-seekers  and  valetudinarians  is  so  easily  reached 
from  the  adjoining  ports  of  Southampton  and  Portsmouth,  by  so  many  different 
railway  and  steamboat  lines,  that  it  is  superfluous  to  go  into  further  details  on  the 
subject. 

In  the  matter  of  excellent  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  no  island  is  better  pro- 
vided with  the  means  for  comfortably  entertaining  strangers  or  ministering  to  the 
comforts  of  invalids.  They  abound  on  every  hand,  and  it  will  therefore  suffice, 
among  many,  to  mention  favorably  the  Fier,  the  Kent,  Sivier's,  and  the  Belgrave, 
at  KmIc.  Charming  cottages  may  also  be  obtained  tlu're  and  everywhere  about  the 
island  for  the  season  or  for  the  year;  but  the  terms  depend  so  nuich  on  size  or 
location,  that  the  visitor  intending  to  lease  a  cottage  will  have  to  look  around  for 
himself.  At  Brading,  the  Fugle  Inn  offers  shelter  to  the  passing  tourist.  At  Sand- 
own,  the  chief  hotels  are  the  Sandown  and  the  Star  and  (iarler.  At  Slianklin, 
HoUier's,  Daish's,  and  the  Madeira  can  be  recommendeil  among  a  number  of  ex- 
cellent hotels  and  lodging-houses.  The  Clarendon  is  a  tavern  rather  than  a  first- 
c'ass  hotel. 

18 


27i 


Al'I'KNDIX. 


ill 


i:1 


I  ill! 


i?.  i 


Voiitimr,  the  ehoicost  spot  in  llie  Islr  of  Wi^'lit,  ami  the  resort  of  invalids, 
alioiinds  ill  liotols  and  1)oardino;-lionsos  of  oxecllcnt  rliarai  ter.  Tlic  C'rali  and  Loli- 
ster  cannot  hv  too  liiii'lily  rocoiiiniciided  for  the  (iiiiel  onler  and  iinme-likc  neatness 
and  coiiveiiienco  of  tlie  eomforts  it  olfors  to  its  y'liests.  The  Marine  Hotel,  on  tlie 
clifT  facino;  the  oeoan.  is  finely  situated,  and  so,  also,  is  the  Esplanade  Hotel.  The 
teriii>  at  the  hotels  and  lodyinu;-liouses  of  N'eiitnor  are  more  iiKiderate  than  the 
ciiargcs  at  lirin'htoii  or  other  sea-side  resorts  in  l'^iii;'laiid.  The  Alliion  and  I'hinih 
ly's  hotel,  at  Freshwater  (>ate,  are  excellent  estalilislnneiits.  'I'he  XeeiUes  at  Ahini 
Bay,  the  Biie-lo  at  Xowport,  and  the  (iloncester  at  West  Cowes,  are  capital  hotels. 

As  a  waterino'-place  for  snninier  tonrists  and  [)leasnre-scekers,  the  attractions  of 
the  Isle  of  Wiyht  are  too  ohvimis  to  recinire  either  praise  f)r  eoiiiment.     As  a  sani- 
tarium for  invalids,  especially  those  atllieted  with  ]>iilmoiiary  complaints,  the  advaii- 
tai>'es  of  this  island  are  less  certain,  and  have  within  a  few  years  received  (|uite  as 
much  credit  as  they  deserve.     The   island,  as  a  whole,  possesses  too   much   of  the 
moist,  raw,  and  variahle  teini)erature  of  Eiiii'land  to  make  it  a  desirahle  resort  for 
invalids.      Hut  the  narrow,  seveii-mile-loiig'  stri[)  of  land  called  the  1,'iiderclitf,  on 
which  V'eiitnor  is  situated,  enjoys  a  cliinati'  that  is  more  mild,  dry,  and  steadv  than 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  island,  facing'  the  south-east,  and  sheltered  from  northerlv 
winds  liy  the  hiijh  cliiTs  of  Jioiiiface  Down  and  St.  Catherine's  Hill.      Shanklin  also 
rejoices  in  the  softer  climate  of  Veiitnor,  but  to  a  less  (h'n'ree.     The  mean  annual 
temperature  of  tlu-  I'nderclilf  is  51 ""  72'.     In  winter  it  sometimes  falls  much  lower, 
hut,  on  the  whole,  it  is  not  snipass(Hl  in  mildness  and  eqnahility  hy  any  other  health 
resort  of  the  Atlantic  north  of  the  Azores.     "1  have  counted,"  says  the  late   Dr. 
Martin,  "nearly  fifty  species  of  o-arden  Howcrs  hloominii"  in  the  borders  in  1  )ecem- 
ber.  and  sweet-peas  I,'.ossoni   on  Christmas-day!     The  bee  is  on  the  wiiii:'  when,  in 
less  favored  districts  of  the  island,  a  bitter  frost  ]>arches  all  the  meadows."     This  is 
the  most  favorable  exhibit  that  can  be  allow(Ml  in  praise  of  \'entnor.     Hut,  after 
every  reservation,  it  may  be  frankly  admitted  that,  for  those  who  do  not  care  or 
are  unable  to  u'o  to  the  trade-wind  islands  for  their  health,  the   riidercliff  on  the 
Isle  of  Win'lit  offers  most  decided  advantao'es  and  attractions  which  may  enahle 
them  to  protract  for  years  a  life  that  would  otherwise  lie  forfeited  by  a  loiio'ei-  ;t:iy 
in  the  ])lace  where  the  disease  was  contracted.     The   lloyal  Xational  Hospital  for 
(Consumption,  notwithstaniliiKj;  the  unwieldiness  of  the  name,  is  a  most  beneficent 
institution,  situated  in  the  outskirts  of  V'entnor,  and  intended,  for  xcry  iiiixh'rate 
terms,  to  o-ive  a  home  in  that  charininfy  retreat  to  those  invalids  whose  means  are 
too  sleinh'r  to  allow  them  to  meet  tlic  expenses  o-onorally  (U'liianded  by  a  forei^'n 
trip  for  health.     To  such  this  noble  institution  presents  romarkable  adva.ntages. 


TIIK   END 


Ibi.' 


ULUA13LE  &  mTEPiESTim  WOIIKS 


PuiJLisiiKi)  liv  TTAliPER  vt  liPtOTTIERS,  New  Y 


OKK. 


Cl^-  llAUPKu  &  linoT,„:,-.s  nm  s.„U  tUc  MU,in^  „„„i,,  /.,  vuul,  postwje  prrpaU!,  to  a,,,  purl  ,/  tin.  mite,, 

.y((f(vv,  un  nxcipt  i/  the  juirc. 


The  Rime  of  the  Ancient  Mariner. 

J5y  S.u,,.:,    Tavi.ou  C.i.k.u.,,;,:.      III„stn,to,l  by  G.'ST.vvi:   I)o,m':.     A  nuHMiificentlv  II 
li.suatcl  u.ul  .s.n„,„„ous  volume.      Folio,  Cloth,  Gilt  Eclg.>  and  i„  a  „.at  I^  x,  S  ob. 

yy^'^  n<)i/s  of  us. 

The  Life  and  Habits  of  Wild  Animals. 

IllMStraU.,1  lV,Mn  Designs  l.y  Joskpm  W.m.k.      Engraved  In  J.  W.  and  Edwanl  WI,vM,per 

Sigt' ^r'S    '^'^''"-'"•'^"  ''^-  i^^'"-'  <-^=^"^  i^"-''  I'-i^-^.  1^-z-^.  4,0,  Cloth,  Lil; 

T/ie  /,//f^  r///Y/  Letters  of  Lord  Macau/at/. 

By  his   Nephcu    G    Otto  TiiKVKrvAN,  M.l'.      Wi,h  I'ortrait  o„   Sieel.      Co.nMete   in  '> 

'rL  CaJi^'H^is'So    '""      ''^ '"'' '''''  '^'''''  *'  "'''  ^'^''^'''  *•'  '"^'  ^''^"'<  •'^''  *''  ^«" 
Selections  from  the  Writings  of  Lord  Macauhn/. 

Edited,  with  Oceasional   Notes,  hy  GKuu<a:   Om,  Tinov..:r.vAN.  M.l'.       sJo    Cloti,    Gilt 

i^i::%w:;\Si;;S.f  ^''^''■'"  ^"  "^^  -^  "^' '-"  "^  ^^^-'^  ^^--/ 

The  CatsJdU  Fairies. 

!%^' Gih  ii^js':;;^^-  '"'"'■'^"'  '■  ^''•^"  ^'^'^^™'^^-  ^'^-^ «™'  ^"— -' 

Caricature  and  Other  Comic  Art, 

111  All  Times   jiiid    .Maiiv  Laiuls.      l!v  Jmies    Pvptov       Witl,    or.'!   in     .      • 

Cloth,  Gilt  Tops  and  Uneut  Edges,  i<h  m  ""''  ^''"^^"•'"'""•^-      «^-"- 

77<c  /?ooA-  o/'  G'o/^/  and  Other  Poems. 

a'jL')'  '^''""''"""^"'-     il>"^"=it^-^l-     tivo.  Ornamental  Co^er,  Gilt  Edges,  ^2  oO.      ^/„ 

^/•/  Education  Applied  to  Industry. 

I?y  Col.  G.:..n.iK  Wau,.  Xkh..,.s.     Illustrated.     8vo.  Cloth,  Illuminated  and  Gilt,  ^rl  00. 

Art  Decoration  Applied  to  Furniture. 

I3y  IlAuu.KT  ruKSCurr  yroFi-oKi..     Illustrated.     8vo,  Clr  h,  Hhnainaied  au.l  (;ilt.  ,v{  ,„,. 


Valuable  and  Interesting  WorLs. 


W 


!i 


The  Earth : 

A  Descriptive,  History  of  the  I'Iumioiiumiii  of  iho  Life  of  tiic  Globo.  By  Eliskk  Kkclus. 
TniiislatiMl  by  tiic  i.itL'  15.  15.  Wokuwakd.  .M.A.,  and  Iviiii'd  l>y  Hicnuy  Woddwaud,  TSrit- 
i>li  Muscimi.  Illiistrati'd  wiiii  L'.'il  Majis  in>urr('(l  in  the  'J'ext,  aiid  215  rag(!  Ma)i<  iirinted 
ill  Colors.      Svo.  Cloth,  !f<r.  (»(•;    Half  Calf.  s7  L',".. 

Tile  Ocean, 

Atniiisiilu'rc,  and  Life.  Being  the  Second  Series  of  n.  Descriptive  History  of  the  Life  of 
the  Cijolie.  I>y  I'Imskio  Hicci.r.s.  lihistrated  wiiii  L'.">(t  Alaps  or  Figuics.  and  1'7  Ma])s 
Iirinted  in  Colors.      Svo,  Clotii,  •"?(!  OU ;    Half  Calf,  ^8  •!'>. 


The  Atntosphere. 


Translated  tVoin  the  French  of  Camili-i;  Fi.ammauio.n.  Edited  by  Jami;s  Gi.Aisnr.n. 
F.U.S.  With  10  Chrt>nio-Litlioj,Tai)h.s  and  8(1  Woodcuts,  Svo,  Clolli,  $0  00;  Half 
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Gohlstnith's  Poetical  Works. 

I'oetieal  Works  of  Oliver  Goldsmith.  With  Illustrations  by  C.  W.  Cojie,  A.K.A.,  Thomas 
Creswick.  .J.  C.  Horsley,  K.  Iledprave,  A.li.A.,  and  Frederick  Taylcr,  Members  ot'  the 
Ktchint^  Club.  Willi  u  15iof;iiiiiliical  Memoir,  and  Notes  on  the  Poems.  Edited  by  Boi.- 
TON  C;<)UNi;v.  Svo.  Cloth.  Beveled  Boards,  $3  00;  Cloth,  (Jilt  Kdyes.  .*3  To;  Turkey 
Morocco,  Gilt  Fdges,  !$7  TiO. 

California  : 

Fcir  Health,  I'lcMsiirc.  and  Residence.  A  Bi'ok  for  Tiavellers  and  Settlers.  By  CirAi!i.t:s 
XoitMioi'F       I'rol'iisely  Illustrated.      Svo,  Clnih,  SL'  .'<{). 

Northern  Califonua,  Orei>on.  and  the  Sandwich  Iskoids. 

By  CiiAi.i.KS  Niiiiintori'.      ri-ofuxdy  lllusiiated.      Svo,  Cloth,  ^'L'  'lO. 


A 


1  Dictionary  of  Religious  Knowledge, 


For  roimlar  and  I'rofessioiial  T^se  :  Comini^inp;  fidl  Information  on  Biblical,  Theolo^ieal. 
and  Ecclesiastical  Sidijccts.  With  nearly  One  Thousand  Maiis  and  Illustrations,  Editeil 
by  the  Kcv,  Lvman  Aiwiott,  with  the  Co-operation  of  the  Bev.  T.  J.  Conant,  D.I).  Boyal 
Svo,  contuinini;  over  1000  jia^res,  Cloth,  *(!  00;   Slice]),  i^l  00;    Half  Jlorocco,  !«S  50. 


The  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Rej)uhlic. 


A  History.      By  John  Lotiiuop  Moti.ky,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.      With  Portrait  of  William  of 
Orange.  "  3  vol's.,  Svo.  Cloth,  .^lO  ."O :   Shecj),  *I2  00:   Half  Calf,  s\7  2.'>. 


History  of  the  United  Netherlands  : 


From  the  Death  of  William  the  Silent  to  the  Twelve  Years'  Truce— inoO.  With  a  Fidl 
View  of  the  Englisb-Dutch  Struggle  Against  Spain,  and  (jf  the  Origin  and  Dcstriictioti  of 
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vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  *1 4  00;"  Sheep,  8K!  00;    Half  Calf,  fjf'>:\  00. 


Life  and  Death  of  John  of  Barnemld, 


AdvocMto  of  Holland.  With  ii  View  of  the  Prim.try  Causes  and  ]\Iovements  of  '"The 
Thirty  Years'  War."  By  John  Lotiiuoj-  Moti-i.y,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  Iliu>irated.  2  vols., 
Svo,  Cloth,  .$7  00  ;    Shcop,  *8  00  ;    Half  Calf,  8l  1  50. 


I'aliiab/c  and  I nt cresting  Works. 


Pottery  and  Porcelain  of  all  Times  and  Nations. 

With  Tabl.s  ,,f  Fu.toiy  an.l  Anist.'  Marks,  for  tin-  Us.  „f  Colk-ctors.      Profusely  III,,.- 

jT/te  Poe^A'  f>/'  //<<r>  Nineteenth  Centnrt/. 

Selc.c.to.1  and  Eclitu.l  l.y  .h.  h'..v.  Rohk.t  Aims  Wr..,..M..n..      With  Kngilsh  a:.!  An.orican 
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Sons^s  of  Onr  Yonth. 

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Noohs  and  Corners  of  the  New  Emrland  Coast 

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Pern : 

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M.A.,  I.S.A..  late  I  .  S,  Comnu,ss,o„er  to  Peru.      With  Illustrations.      8vo,  Cloth,  f5  Oo! 

Contemporari/  Art  in  Europe. 

By  S.  G.  W.  Bt^NJAMiN.     Copiously  Illustrated.     Svo.  Cloth,  Illuminated  and  Gilt,  *;5  .^0. 

The  Poets  and  Poetry  of  Scotland 
Pictorial  Field-Book  of  the  Revolution  ; 

Or,  Illustrations  hv  Pen  and  reiieil  III"  1 1, .  it;, t„,.     t>-  i 

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The  Pictorial  Field-Book  of  the  War  of  1812 

Or,  Illustrations  hy  Pen  and  Peneil  of  the  Ilistorv  BioLn-mliv   Sr-ono,.-    i?  r  ,  -n     ,• 

nons  of  the  last  War  tor  Atnerican  Independence       2;  Sso^f:,    I  r'    Wit    't: 

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r/i^?  Geoirraphical  Distribution  of  Animals 

A..chipe.a.o."  .e.     In  Two  Volun.e"  ^^i^llJ^--;  m;:;r:;ionf ''i^'ciS,  ';^. 

The  First  Century  of  the  Republic. 

A  Review  of  American  Progress.     8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00 ;  Sheep,  $,  r,0 ;  Half  Morocco,  $7  25. 


